Spring has Sprung!

[silentshot1 206]

Having all but thrown my bath water out after my R-10 and S410 (only 6 months after service from AA) have both basically failed in one way or another, I have once again fallen back on the ever trusty 22 year old (ish) venom tuned HW 77 .177 with it's equally aged 3 - 9 x Kassner wide scope.

 

I guess I've treated the HW 77 a bit like that girl we all have in our past. The one that perhaps we never treated that well, that perhaps we pushed to one side as soon a a better offer came along, but found ourselves inevitably calling after the latest relationship finished. That girl that that was fun, dependable, good looking, always accomadating but perhaps a bit heftyier than the others, the one that you had a great time with but didn't always admit it to the guys and that very few ever saw you with.... You know the one.

 

Anyhoo it was with that in mind that I arrived at the farm the other day and started the relationship with the HW 77 over... again. Set up the range and off I went. Groups at even 25 yards were as ugly as 'That Girl's' sister! All over the shop and nothing as accurate as I used to be. A quick barrel clean, zero and few choice words plus concerntrating on my hold and bang on, 5 shot groups in to the 5p size bull.

 

Out to thirty yards and repeating the same process... groups started erratic but over twenty shots, back in to the 5p group and back to 35 yards then 40. Same process, gradually same result! After three hours and with only 2 hours to sun down, my confidence had returned and I decided to go and see what I could find.

 

I took up a static position about 35 yards out from a known hotspot, sitting in shadow with my back to a woodland patch with a clear view down a productive hedge line. Hearing the tell tale thumps, I realised I'd been spotted by an unseen Long eared lawn destroyer and settled in for the long game.

 

45 minutes passed with nothing to show apart from the usual 'out of season' temptation from phesants, as stunning as they are stupid, plus the out of range rabbits about 70 - yards awaybut obviously left alone. Just about to move on and taking one last look down the line and there they are, two ear tips caught in the sun at an estimated 40 meters.

 

i waited and watched for a further 5 - 10 mins. Three crop robbers burst out of the hedge and started running around in the dieing sun, one seperates and comes bolting toward me. I snap the gun to my shoulder, breath and BANG (sod it they're loud when you don't want them to be). To fast, clear miss... All three stop, stare in my direction then disappear quicker than a Kylie video in a fertility clinic.

 

Cursing my mistake I decide to stay put. I wait again for twenty mins or so, the sun disaapears behind the horizon and things start to quieten, A tuft of grass moves about 35 yards away. A check in the scope and it's no grass, but hopefully about to get smoked anyhow!

 

I rest the gun on my knee, following the tuft nay rabbit in the scope whilst letting my leading arm rest. It again runs toward me following a clear run, gets to thirty yards, turns, runs in the other direction, stops an estimated 40 yards out. Take the gun weight in my lead hand, gently breath out, take up first stage, hold breath, second stage, release shot, BANG, smack, watch through the scope as pellet hits home and with two leg kicks it's lights out. Freakin' delighted!!

 

Pace out the shot to 38 paces. Really chuffed. Pick up my trophy, reload and turn to head back to the car, over the moon! Something about a springer success feels so much more earnt than a PCP kill.

 

40 or so yards the other side of my static position I see a movement, I drop to a knee, bring the rifle up and catch a sneaky wee fecker bolting back to it's warren from elsewhere at about 25 yards paced. A quick click of the tounge and he pauses, looks around and breath, bang, crack, No. 2 in less than ten minutes. that's it, I'm bowled over, to delighted to breath! Fully converted to springers again.....

 

The next night (Monday) I blank, miss a shot and see nothing for the next two hours. I decide to bring out the Super 10, it's quieter and has multi shot...... bye bye again, big girl!!

Edited April 4, 2012 by silentshot1

[StevoSmith 147]

Great write up mate....Nice to see you have moved from the darkside that is PCP's...Love the sound of a springer in the morning

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Nice write up and nice shooting (well the second shot anyway), I am going to have to get Wilbur on the case once I have shoved a bit more lead through him! But until then it is HW100 and BSA Super 10 all the way!

Edited April 4, 2012 by secretagentmole

[fry 209]

great read thanks

[silentshot1 206]

Thanks all! You can't beat that Rekord trigger, it's simply awesome and still the bar that all others aspire to get to.

[springer 1498 4]

Took my Hw 90k out again last night , Like slipping in to an old pair of boots .walked for a good couple of miles and had two woodys and rook ,and thought,this is how it all started .springers ,gas rams ,no trouble,no leaks just grab your gun and go! Handful of pellets and that's it and I must admit had one of the best nights in a long time .it's funny how the things you dream about don't always live up to your expectations.I've got two lovely pcp's I use , Hw's get left behind all the time .then last week thought this is becoming to easy ,what happend to all that practice I put in as a boy of 13 to 20 with recoil and holding the gun properly.it just seems in this day and age you can go out ,and buy yourself a good pcp and in 1hour be putting pellet on pellet.I met two blokes the other week all the gear no f#%^ing idea. Claiming to be hitting targets all the way out 100mtrs .stayed well clear of them to££ers.

[silentshot1 206]

Realtree everything, including car, satalite guided range finding monocular, all terrain stalking boots, Shootmore spray, yellow sun glasses, GPS, trophy camera, Daystate, massive game talk.... empty bag!!

 

Met a few.... Good luck to them, it creates a brilliant second hand market when they jack it in for a shotgun (never them, always the gun!)

[springer 1498 4]

I know what you mean ,never seen so many Hw bundle's so cheap !

[Phantom 631]

Lovely read that SS

 

Tony