Acuspell 329 Posted August 31, 2013 Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 With summer coming to an end, the harvest underway I have started taking the dogs round the headlands and to see if there are any rabbits around anywhere - very few! We have poked out a couple, but literally, we covered 2 miles (took the GPS with me, just out of interest) before we saw the first one. After tracing 6 miles of hedges they had found TWO. Tigs nearly caught the second one as it dashed across the old railway track. I picked a load of blackberries and we saw a couple of squirrels in a big, old oak - throwing acorns at us! It fired upmy interest after the summer of fishing.This morning I got the Rapid out and with one double magazine (one of the Pneumatic ballistics 20-shot magazines) and two 12-shot Rapid ones loaded I took the young lurcher and went out into the cubicle yard. There were ferals everywhere. I got three before putting my boots on - but that got them skittery. They flew off and we went quietly through the cows - Tigs is still getting to grips with them, which is why I brought him without his mum this time. He stayed close and didn't panic, although he wasn't so keen on being licked by the cows! A steadying hand on hiss back was all that was needed to keep him calm. he stayed by me as I waited beside the scratching brush. This affords a great view of the entire gutter on the opposite roof and some of the feed yard. It only took 15 minutes before they started circling again and I finished with 7 all told. We then went to set some crayfish traps in the river and give the place a rest for an hour and let the dog have his head for a bit - he galloped off to where there are a couple of rabbit holes. We have seen one here in the past - it kept him interested for 10 minutes as he circled the brambles and pushed through, but without flushing one, just a couple of pheasants. I reckon one rabbit is worth ten floppy tailed chickens.I decided I wanted to get some of the magpies that are gathering in force on the farm. I went into the calf shed and stayed there - it is empty. Tigs sat down beside me and just waited, good as gold having had some exercise. There are some holes the size of a block in the walls, for ventilation. They make great sniping ports! They also overlook the slurry lagoon, a favourite haunt of the bandits. It wasn't long before one perched on the gatepost at the far end. I am totally out of sight to them, in the darkness of the shed looking out through the vent holes. I lined him up, one BDC circle it is to that end (about 45 yards) and squeezed off. There was the satisfying smack as the .20 Exact drilled hiome and the magpie head dived off the post! I reloaded and waited for the excited cackling to begin.......5 minutes went by and nothing. Then I saw a flash of white go into the sycamore away to the right across the paddock. I quietly made my way to the end of the calf shed and on tip toe looked over the iron clad gate. There he was, sat in the tree, hjust the bright white of his breast giving him away. It was an awkward standingshot, on tip toe balanced on the bottom rail of a cubicle to gain enough height to shoot over the cladding on the gate! I gave it a bit extra for luck and down he went. 75 paces when I collected it and the pellet had gone clean through the middle of his chest and out the back between his shoulder blades. I was chuffed with that one! I set him up on the wall around the slurry lagoon and waited again for the others to be drawn in. Instead about 100 jackdaws and crows went mad at it. Then two magpies appeared at the far end of the lagoon, one on a post the other in the elderberry......the elder got it first. Another first cicrle line up that just collapsed it on the spot. The other magpie never flinched. I reloaded and had the luxury of a bit f a rest to line up on him with. He was a bit hunched and only head and chest visible. The pellet found its mark though and that made four - and my day! I brought the two that fell on the outside of the lagoon fence home for decoys. The other two will have to feed the rats, I wasn't risking falling in the slurry lagoon to collect the other pair. I will see if I can remember the camera tomorrow and get some pictures of the area and the brace from today. Hopefully there will be some wet creepy-crawlies to bring home too! That 75 yard, standing unsupported shot will live in the memory for some time. Quote Link to post
ghillies 209 Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 who sells them double mags for the rapids? and do they come in .177? Quote Link to post
mark williams 7,568 Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Nice read up mate and good shooting atb Quote Link to post
Acuspell 329 Posted September 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Ghillies - Pneumatic Ballistics designed and make them. They also designed the new BSA magazine for them, the one that works! They are NON indexing, you use the pellet as the index, so they always line up perfectly - and yes, they do them in .177 and .22 - my .20 version is actually a .177 that they drilled out for me, but left the .177 on the casing! Consider the price of TWO standard magazines (for 10 shot) and then compare the price of one of these, because it is the capacity of two! Obviously, if you want a 17 shot Rapid magazine they are only about £45, and you can still get them....but why anyone would want a .177 I cannot think. Quote Link to post
j j m 6,626 Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 good read up mate Quote Link to post
The one 8,592 Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Nice read sounds like you had a good day Quote Link to post
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