The Air Rifles & Pistols thread

[lttlejoe]

So why, in my previous house, did they spent about 30 minutes each day attacking my neighbours car?

Stupid, dirty, annoying little *******. Looking forward to clearing the farm of them

Crows are territoriial and probably had young in the area - there's certainly nothing clever in killing an animal or bird from a distance that can't fight back.
Any idiot can do it! Crows are intelligent carrion scavengers which clean up road kills etc and I encourage them into my are as they keep away Sparrow Hawks which are currently devastating my local small bird population as they're usually the only bird to take them on.

I say idiot because I've been there and done that and it's not something I'm proud of but I did give it up ( aged about 15 - 16) once I realised I was tw** for killing them. There's certainly nothing cool about it!

I too have guns: An original unrestricted BSA Airsporter from the 1950's, a .22 BRNO bolt action with scope and moderator, an over and under 12 bore and my favourite, a .357 magnum Winchester underlever rifle.
I also owned 5 handguns before they were banned, including a 9mm semi auto, two x .357 mags a .44 Dirty Harry Smith & Wesson and a .22 revolver.
I never aim or fire them at animals or birds any more - target shooting is just as much fun if you're prepared to compete!
One day recently I was out and about in a nearby town and a noticed a crow which appeared to have found a piece of rock hard bread crust which it couldn't break up properly so it took it to a nearby rain-water puddle at the edge of the road and placed it in there to soften it so it could eat it - they are highly intelligent birds!

 

[Makhaira]

You say that, but when you see a lamb dying because crows have literally pecked out its eyeballs whilst it's screaming, you change your mind about them to be honest.

 

[ianh]

And they're a bigger danger to song-birds than sparrow hawks as they eat the song birds eggs.

LttleJoe - I realise that a few forum posts are hardly likely to change your opinion but from my own experiences out hunting I think that Crows, whilst definately intelligent, still deserve the pest label they receive. I treat them with great respect (they're very clever as you said) when hunting them and treat it as a task rather than think of it as something "cool" to do (in the same way I treat Ratting/Rabbiting etc) and I think 95% of responsibile hunters feel the same way.

Obviously there's always some nutters out there willing to give us a bad name with their "hey, I gotta airgun, watch me shot this cat/person/window etc" attitude but new laws incoming might help reduce that number.

 

[steveo]

You say that, but when you see a lamb dying because crows have literally pecked out its eyeballs whilst it's screaming, you change your mind about them to be honest.

saw this last lambing season and its heart wrenching to see add the Magpies and its a feast for them with day old lambs

on another note i just got another permission from a farmer with a bad rat and rabbit problem, just ordered a LEDray Tactical 400 from uttings for the night shots after seeing great reviews with it should be here tomorrow

 

[kwerk]

I used to have a Falcon FN12 and a Rapid 12 (or Super12 as it's called here) but sold them to buy a lawn mower. I could shoot them in my basement because part of it is 22 yards long, sometimes I still shoot my cz 452 down there with 22lr CBs which have hardly any powder and about the same power as an air rifle. I wouldn't mind getting another air rifle.

 

[lttlejoe]

You say that, but when you see a lamb dying because crows have literally pecked out its eyeballs whilst it's screaming, you change your mind about them to be honest.

I've heard this story before - but I've not met anyone who has actually witnessed it and I've lived in the coutryside all my life.

They don't harm healthy lambs and are carrion feeders! The same applies to Buzzards and Red Kites which are very often labeled and blamed in the same way when in fact they only feed on carrion and not live creatures!

 

[lttlejoe]

And they're a bigger danger to song-birds than sparrow hawks as they eat the song birds eggs.

LttleJoe - I realise that a few forum posts are hardly likely to change your opinion but from my own experiences out hunting I think that Crows, whilst definately intelligent, still deserve the pest label they receive. I treat them with great respect (they're very clever as you said) when hunting them and treat it as a task rather than think of it as something "cool" to do (in the same way I treat Ratting/Rabbiting etc) and I think 95% of responsibile hunters feel the same way.

Obviously there's always some nutters out there willing to give us a bad name with their "hey, I gotta airgun, watch me shot this cat/person/window etc" attitude but new laws incoming might help reduce that number.

Compared to Crows, a Stoat or Weasel will take far more song bird eggs, whereas a Sparrow Hawk will decimate a population of small birds in an area! They are reported to kill anything up to 4000 small birds in one year - the effect of crows stealing eggs is minimal by comparison.

 

[Makhaira]

I've heard this story before - but I've not met anyone who has actually witnessed it and I've lived in the coutryside all my life.

We lost 2 healthy lambs to it last year.

 

[Richie]

I've heard this story before - but I've not met anyone who has actually witnessed it and I've lived in the coutryside all my life.

I have witnessed it. The lamb hasn't even been fully born yet (hanging out the ewe) and the crow/magpie sits on the back of the ewe pecking away at the lamb.

And to say any idiot can shoot a crow isn't exactly true. As you say, they are smart birds and incredibly tough to shoot at distances greater than 30-35yds with non-FAC rifles so you have to get close.

 

[steveo]

I've heard this story before - but I've not met anyone who has actually witnessed it and I've lived in the coutryside all my life.

maybe your crows in east yorkshire dont like the taste of lambs eyes but the ones in north yorkshire and the rest of the country do the next time i catch it happening with my camera at a farm i will take a picture then you might change your mind towards pest

 

[FISHGUTS]

I've heard this story before - but I've not met anyone who has actually witnessed it and I've lived in the coutryside all my life.

Yep, seen it on our farm many a time.
Bought a Weihrauch HW100 to get rid of some of them, instead of using a shotgun.
And to echo Richie, yeah they aren't daft.

 

[Amos91]

Nice thread. I have quite a few rifles, including BSA Airsporters from the 1950s.

However, the one I go hunting with is my Tx200HC, currently outputting 11.8ft/lb

 

[Gunni Parker]

I have a relic, a .22 Weihrauch HW35k. I also have a Ratcatcher.

 

[bainbridge]

Nice thread. I have quite a few rifles, including BSA Airsporters from the 1950s.

However, the one I go hunting with is my Tx200HC, currently outputting 11.8ft/lb

Lovely stock on that rifle olivercamos, my old shooting buddy had one & it came up to the aim so readily, he ended up selling it to a local gunshop for about £100 including scope, mount & case when he was skint, big mistake.

I still own mine, a HW80 long barrel. Its an old one but in lovely condition, made in Germany. Venom mainspring, piston, seal & silencer. Weighs a ton but once you get used to it its a dream to shoot. Unscoped atm & can't fit the ironsights due to the silencer, so it's languishing in the loft for the time being

 

[Mark A]

Nice thread. I have quite a few rifles, including BSA Airsporters from the 1950s.

However, the one I go hunting with is my Tx200HC, currently outputting 11.8ft/lb

Lovely gun!

 

[SpiritOfTheAge]

Nice picinic table, beautiful grain on it.

 

[ianh]

Having just moved I haven't been able to find any permissions in nearly a year, unless your FAC/SGC the local farmers don't want to know so I've just sold all my kit and applied for my FAC. I'm looking at a CZ452 in either.17HMR or .22LR.

My long range bunny gun - .177 Airwolf MCT - Amazingly accurate (indoors @ 65yrds a 15mm grouping - no wind )

Short range Ratter - Heavily Modded .22 AA S200 (BSA Barrel/Cylinder/Reg etc) - Multishot, lighweight and short (less than 1.2kg and only 30in long). Had a Pulsar N550 DigiNV and the rats never knew what happened, superb rifle.

 

[Amos91]

Love that S200. Really fancy getting one now..

Here are some of my more 'antique' weapons:

BSA Mercury Mark I .22:

BSA Airsporter Mark I .22:

Paratrooper .22:

Diana .177 Pistol:

My grouping at 30 yards with the Tx200HC:

 

[steveo]

Having just moved I haven't been able to find any permissions in nearly a year, unless your FAC/SGC the local farmers don't want to know so I've just sold all my kit and applied for my FAC. I'm looking at a CZ452 in either.17HMR or .22LR.

My long range bunny gun - .177 Airwolf MCT - Amazingly accurate (indoors @ 65yrds a 15mm grouping - no wind )

http://www.ianhenshall.com/airwolf03sm.jpg[/img

Short range Ratter - Heavily Modded .22 AA S200 (BSA Barrel/Cylinder/Reg etc) - Multishot, lighweight and short (less than 1.2kg and only 30in long). Had a Pulsar N550 DigiNV and the rats never knew what happened, superb rifle.

[img]http://www.ianhenshall.com/s20002sm.jpg[/img[/QUOTE]

Did you fit the studs for your bipod yourself ?? Have a bipod and stud coming with my lamp today just wondering how easy/hard it is to drill the stock

 

[Makhaira]

Did you fit the studs for your bipod yourself ?? Have a bipod and stud coming with my lamp today just wondering how easy/hard it is to drill the stock

Easy, but whatever you do, REMOVE THE ACTION FROM THE STOCK FIRST.