Big Al Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 I went out this afternoon for a couple of hours, there was a lad shooting pigeons near by and it was making the crows I was after too flighty so my friend and I just stood chatting on the tailgate of my jeep, admiring the scenery and the beautiful afternoon. After 10 mins or so a magpie put down right on the top of a crab apple tree, about 35' high. The tree was 295yds away, slight downhill shot into a valley and clear backstop, up 16 clicks and 3 for wind. What was really interesting though was that when the 55gr SBK struck home there were no feathers and I watched the magpie just sit back and drop an inch or so and relax, it held its shape perfectly but was stone dead. It made the perfect decoy and within 30 seconds its mate was sitting there waiting for the same, I felt it would be rude not to oblige but this one preferred the dramatic exit, a big puff and a triple sulco on its way to the ground. We were chuckling about the second one when to my delight a third one landed a bit lower down in the same tree, to say I was disappointed to miss the triple was an understatement. The wind went from 2mph to nothing in the space of 30 seconds and I hadn't noticed it drop. An hour later we went down to see, the one on the floor was hit centre mass with the expected wounds, we couldn't get the other out of the tree and he was still sitting there proud as we left, the shot was aimed centre mass but Im wondering just how he stayed up there so perfectly? I was disappointed about missing the third one but never mind two in the hand is still better than three in the bush! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Ace stuff , my favourite quarry to snyp . And great shooting Ai , keep it up bud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeroz Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I wonder if you hit him in the head? Mind you, if you had, surely you would have seen when you got closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted October 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I wonder if you hit him in the head? Mind you, if you had, surely you would have seen when you got closer. Because of the fact the bird was still stuck in the tree I just don't know, I think it will leave me wondering for a good while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onehole Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 BigAl that reminds me of long time ago and just my beginning to explore extended range shots,,,,,I had upgraded to a Sako 75 VLS in 6 PPC from a remmy pss in 223 and was having a whole heap of fun loaded with the 58Vmax.We were high up on a hill overlooking the River Camel in Wadebridge Cornwall,,, bunnies were everywhere with easy shots from 50 to 200 ish yards ,,,,easy.My friend,,a deer stalker was amazed at how easy the longer one,s were dropping as he was much more used to bigger targets well inside 200 yards.At the top of a hill he spotted a crow in a tree which seemed a hell of a way away and he said that would be a good shot,,,jokingly,,,,Well the backdrop was safe with a rising ploughed field behind and no leaves on the tree,,,it was a safe shot and with one of the early Leica rangefinders pinged the bird at 305 yards.I had a trajectory chart made up as I had only just bought my first nightforce and was beginning to take longer range quite seriously. I dialled in the range which was easy but a wind coming up the estuary I just had to make a guess at and remember saying to my friend I,m gonna give him a good six inches of wind ,,,,he laughed at the time and he just said no way are you gonna hit that,,,,,,,well I took the shot lying down and resting on an old bean filled field target seat,,,,,,I was rock steady,,,,,the T8 mod made its familiar ringy phutt,,,and the hiss and whap sound of the 58 vmax hitting home was awesome!!! All we saw was the bird shed a few feathers and some dust puff up from the field behind,,,,,,,,,,you missed he said ,,,,,no I didn,t I,m sure I hit it!!!,,,? the crow remained excactly where it was just moving with the branch a little in the wind,,,,, Several minutes past and a debate on whether I got him or not ended up in a 300 yard walk and my friend climbing the tree only to come back down with a very deceased crow and a huge hole through him,,,,,,what a shot,,, my friend was already on his phone telling mates what he had just seen I think that shot was the one that launched me into a real passion for getting into longer ranges and accurate rifles. By todays standards that sort of shot is now quite commonly taken by most on here but for me it was all just beginning,,,,,,,,think I,m talking 15 to 20 years ago,mmmmm?,,,,,,,,,,wish I still had that Sako!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted October 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Great account Onehole and I can see how easily your became hooked. I learned a valuable lesson yesterday with the wind dropping away and the miss on my third shot but to nail the first two at such a range really pleased me, my friend and I agreed that at that range a couple of magpies were worth four corbys or half a dozen rabbits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbal Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Good stuff,Alan. And it all computes....10 mph wind is about 11 inches at 300,so 2 mph is 21/4;1 click is 3/4 at 300 so 3 clicks are your 21/4...hit,but miss that 2mph wind drop,and you are 21/4 off....just about enough to miss a magpie..... You see why wind judgement is so critical,and why some get sceptical of long range reliable first shot hits way beyond 300Y,in rather more windy conditions-how many can reliably really judge wind 500y away to 2mph,and notice that if/when it changes. Rabbit vital zones are obligingly a bit wider,of course,as you allow. The magpie is however correspondingly more tolerant of slight downhill drop error(prob <1"). The 17 would have missed too-by a tad more (224-17,halved),say .1 " (negligible,assuming equal drift)! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
247sniper Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Great account Onehole and I can see how easily your became hooked. I learned a valuable lesson yesterday with the wind dropping away and the miss on my third shot but to nail the first two at such a range really pleased me, my friend and I agreed that at that range a couple of magpies were worth four corbys or half a dozen rabbits. That why I bought one of these, you can at least be 100% accurate with the wind speed and direction at the shooters position, IMO it helps greatly for working out the wind and worth the purchase. http://youtu.be/x9sam8s4aZQ?list=UUMOEK1gbW63Dy9k19kjicDA Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onehole Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Yep,,,,, wind can play havoc ,,,I usually take a reading from a position and then use the feel on my face for force and direction changes and try to work from that. After all it can be a different force and direction both along the way and at the target.Its probably the only weak point in my methods but after a few shots from a position I generally get it on,,,,regds ..O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swagger Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 This reminds me of a woody i once shot at back in my air rifle days. I took the shot, saw the pellet(.22) go just over the top of its head, and i mean only just. pigeon then proceeded to roll out of the tree stone dead!!! Upon retrieving it it showed no sign of being hit, which i expected as id seen the pellet miss! Still baffles me to this day Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soother223 Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Funnily enough my buddy an I were watching a corn field a few weeks ago, we were tucked in below a hedge with the sun behind us shooting down into the corn field, when a crow landed about 300 yds away. Just before we set up I did the usual wind checks so I was able to advise my buddy on wind speed and angle. . He made the necessary adjustments to his scope and 30 seconds later made contact with the crow! We waited for a while longer an eventually managed to get another shot a little bit further out.. but this one was a little luckier! A very near miss.. 10 mins later he was presented with a nice 500 yarder... confident we were on it with the windage he had a go... I watched through my scope as he sent it... But seemed to miss by quite a margin! But not as expected by the wind! We looked puzzled at each other then I looked through my range finder at a wind turbine in the distance. . The wind had turned 180 degrees within the space of 10 minutes! As we were tucked under the hedge we hadn't realised! Lesson learnt!! Next time we do something like that I think I will tie a strand of black bag on top of a hedge of the field we're shooting toward as a bit of a wind flag. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Nice vid 247/steve , i must get one ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
247sniper Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Nice vid 247/steve , i must get one ! Cheers fella, just showing what it does, even in the slightest winds, you see how it can all off a sudden change. Glad it was of some interest. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onehole Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Range shooters have wind flags we don,t,,,,,look carefully and we do have a clue ,,,mix it with updraft and that opens it up big time,,,!!anybody,,,,? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin credible Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Let's not forget, no matter what range it is............. a good Magpie is a dead Magpie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted October 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 I looked at the Kestrel vanes but they don't fit well with my way of shooting Steve. I do quite a bit of driving around looking for shots on my ground then shoot from the roof of my Landy. Due to a bad back/neck I never lie prone in ambush, if I did I would never get back up! Im thinking of making something similar but smaller that will clamp quickly to the jeep roof where I can easily see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
247sniper Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 I looked at the Kestrel vanes but they don't fit well with my way of shooting Steve. I do quite a bit of driving around looking for shots on my ground then shoot from the roof of my Landy. Due to a bad back/neck I never lie prone in ambush, if I did I would never get back up! Im thinking of making something similar but smaller that will clamp quickly to the jeep roof where I can easily see it. I modified a bracket for my mates car so the Kestrel vane fitted to his bonne for his convenience too. Sam thing as mine but in the car bonnet. You could get one of them sucky thing, they would work also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onehole Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 I looked at the Kestrel vanes but they don't fit well with my way of shooting Steve. I do quite a bit of driving around looking for shots on my ground then shoot from the roof of my Landy. Due to a bad back/neck I never lie prone in ambush, if I did I would never get back up! Im thinking of making something similar but smaller that will clamp quickly to the jeep roof where I can easily see it. Yeah I like it "on top" BigAl,,,,have similar problems with neck and back!!doh!!,,,,,,,,Its a good place to be actually nice and comfy up there and a better place to be to feel what the wind is doing,,,,amazing how a few feet up makes a difference to being on the ground and hurting!.Before anyone says its not stable enough platform ,,,if its that windy I stay home,,,haha,,,,O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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