Any Such Thing As An Expert Newbie Airgunner?

[davethedood 1]

Howdy folks, davethedood Expert Newbie here, been shooting the rats down the garden for a while now and from my makeshift bench rest by the back door I can pop off Mr Ratty with a clean head shot at 30yds with my ProSport .177, 55 down, 1,000's to go. Unlimited supply as neighbours keep chickens and the gardens back onto the railway. I actually convinced myself that I can shoot pretty well until I had a good think about the level of skill that goes into hunting vermin on farms and in the countryside.... perhaps its time I learnt my holdover/unders!!! Ha, ha, ha. Yes, I only shoot at one distance from one position but do consider myself something of a Newbie Expert or at least Mr Ratty thinks so as he tends to steer clear of my garden these days.

 

To accomplish this next (and lofty) level of hunting expertise I'm re joining Bisley BFTO here in Surrey as they have good facilities and I don't have anywhere proper to shoot, poor me, (not having any land to shoot on that is). I have the John Darling book and video and am a big fan or David James (hunters vermin on utube), both of whom epitomise for me what hunting is all about. They're videos are great, it's almost like you're out there in the field with them, in fact when hunters vermin goes after rabbits the fields of his permissions seem particularly attractive. Or maybe its just that I live in a 2 up 2 down with a bus route out the front and a railway embankment out the back

 

Being a meat eater I am keen on shooting and preparing something that I can actually eat, rather than the rats. We do get Woody's under the bird feeder in the garden so maybe they are next on the hit list. I wish they would just keep STILL though! Being a romantic I'd rather be out in the woods and fields.

 

To my first question : is it better to learn holdovers using a single caliber and/or is it confusing to shoot both .177 and .22 using holdover?

[The one 8,592]

Hello and welcome mate