I'd better describe myself as you don't know me, or my shooting skills, I'm in my late 30s, & have been shooting since I was 11. I have shot most types of gun in my time but have gone back to air guns for the last 10 years. I'm a keen hunter & do a little F.T., but not seriously, but hope to do more next year, ps I don't expect to win, it's practice for hunting & I can't recommend it enough.

The varying ranges are just like hunting, as is the sensible size kill zone. Anyway that's a enough about me' lets go hunting, this is my hunting trip I did in December.

Let's set the scene, it was a mid morning start on a rain free, mild day with light wind. The wood I was to go shooting in is broadleaf with holly, about 2 to 3 acres and is on the north side of a steep hill . I entered the wood from the west side, with the intentions of doing a slow stalk 2/3 the length of the wood, to find the best place to wait in ambush.

Shortly after I arrived, a driven pheasant shoot started close by, much to my annoyance, but I was there, so I thought I would stay & see how it went, & to my surprise it went quite well, even with the 12 bores going of like mad. See we can exist together in harmony. I think I should be honest with you, as I am still learning as are you if you are honest.

Whilst stalking my first shot presented it's self, 2 squirrels running on the ground, & my first mistake, I have just gone over to air arms field, & did not spend enough time at the range to get familiar with the ballistics for the new to me ammo, wont make that mistake again, as I shot over the grey rats at 45 yards, by the time I'd sussed why I was missing them, they sussed what the noise was, & it was a good idea to go elsewhere, my miss for the day done. I swapped back to my normal ammo, & went back on the stalk, still going along the ridge. My next opportunity came in on the wing, a nice fat pigeon some 70 yards away, very slowly, & using the other trees as cover, I made my way closer to my prey. When I eventually got as close as the prevailing cover would allow, I slowly brought the gun up to aim, I lasered the tree the bird was sat on, the green dot was on the the last aiming point on my smart sight.

It was another maximum range shot, but with my old ammo in the Rapid, I felt confident the odds were in my favour, so I lent no the tree to steady the gun, & picked a root for the pellet to take to my first kill.

I let the shot off & heard that dull thud as the bird came tumbling down the tree to end a the bottom, dead. Feeling more confident, I continued on my way to the bottom of the wood & sat in ambush, after about half an hour a small flock of pigeon came into the wood about 100 yards away, but this was not for me, as there was no cover between me & them. A squirrel went past me 25 yards away, but the shotguns there very loud at the bottom wood & he had no intention of stopping. It was time to move away from the loud lot, I went up to the top of the wood where it was much quieter, & my next target came in to range, a pigeon, I scared off when I moved. It did a large circle thanks to loud bangs echoing around the valley, & landed in the top of my wood. I only just got into position in a holly bush, just as he came in, so I waited for him to settle down before I mounted my gun & took an easy 35 yarder, strike 2!.

I decided to stay there for the rest of the shoot was it is a natural hide with room to move around & plenty of rests for the gun to lean on, enough said. The next target were three squirrels which I watched for what seemed like hours, but was really abut 20 mintes, till 1 stopped moving in sight long enough to get a shot off, but it comes to those who wait, the shot was the best so far, all I could see was a small bit of grey abut 1 1/2 through the trees but the shot was on, I lasered the tree it was sat on at 45 again, leaning against a small tree I aimed through the gap & slowly squeezed the trigger, & that lovely noise of success echoed around the wood, as 1 more hit the deck.

The other 2 went for cover but time was on my side, as so much of hunting is patience, don't be in a hurry, they do come out of hiding when they think the coast is clear. After a long wait I saw the first 1 to come out to play, but he was to far for me to get a shot off, I stayed where I was & waited, & it paid of, the second 1 was in range, but on the move, I waited some more, the shot was on, the gun was ready, thud went the 3rd. The best bit of all, was the last squirrel stopped on the same branch, & I didn't need asking twice, I took the shot strike 4! .

It was getting late at this point so I decided to call it a day & pick up my quarry & go home. A rather good shoot, as there was a pheasant shoot going on 500yards away.

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