Out last night.
- Thread starter finnbear270
- Start date
Just back in from the latest all nighter, Very impressed with the Merger XL's ...... best improvement is the much finer smoother picture received to the eye, considerably more noticeable round about the 600 yard mark, against the XP's, Of the two fox I observed last night (unfortunately outside my remit), I could see what I deemed to be a group of ducks moving along a hedgeline with one fox intending a meet, this was at 11:20 pm, moments later a 4x4 turned up & disgorged 4 men with head torches, just in time to avoid the imminent carnage, ducks rounded up & collected into the 4x4, I'm guessing a teenager would be sitting somewhere suitably admonished for forgetting to secure the pen, details on the adults were very much more defined, cooler spots in clothing & smaller details like an open coat or a hat being worn, No shots for me last night .... but I will return.
Thought I lost this pic to the ether, should be a thread for best conkers!
Moon is F####'n it up for me at the mo.
I have over the years been gifted duck & hen / goose eggs, milk, cream, farm churned butter, a slab of shotgun cartridges, among other things, as thank you's for my efforts during the nights. As I tipped up, Wyn was unloading a batch of sheep he had moved from the other side of the ground, On completing & drawing out of the field we got chatting for a while, he ended our chat by commenting slaughter was approaching, & I would be receiving a freshly butchered lamb for my results in the past months. 
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
It's nice to receive a small gift for the work you put in. I sometimes get a bottle or twoI have over the years been gifted duck & hen / goose eggs, milk, cream, farm churned butter, a slab of shotgun cartridges, among other things, as thank you's for my efforts during the nights. As I tipped up, Wyn was unloading a batch of sheep he had moved from the other side of the ground, On completing & drawing out of the field we got chatting for a while, he ended our chat by commenting slaughter was approaching, & I would be receiving a freshly butchered lamb for my results in the past months.
.A lamb is a jolly nice/tasty gesture
2Ll’s
Well-Known Member
Went “out lastnight” for the fist time in a week or so due to weather etc. shot the first 3 in the same field, dragged them back to the car then walked the rest of the farm. Got back about an hour later to find #4 sniffing the others I shot earlier, he is the big one on the left in the picture. Fun night.
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Definately up there with the big classification.
2Ll’s
Well-Known Member
All dogs too
WOOF WOOF!
Len the dog
Well-Known Member
My son is now away at Uni, and availing himself of everything Manchester has to offer by all accounts, so decided to take a friend’s son with me for the experience. He has extensive firearms experience from his training in the Royal Marines and has been to the farm with myself to have a go with a sporting rifle on paper (and a watermelon to end the session), but has never shot live quarry before.
A brief training session with the quad sticks, NV, IR and some safety instructions and we were away, me carrying the sticks for quicker deployment and also spotting with the thermal.
We took my usual route of walking along one side of a long narrow strip of woodland with a small beck through it until I reach a point that overlooks three potential approaches, there I will stand for a couple of hours and have had success on the majority of occasions.
We saw one fox maybe 400yds away traversing the field towards the beck so tried the caller, I thought this might draw him towards us where a bend in the margin would bring him directly into shot about 140 yds away, unfortunately the breeze couldn’t make its mind up and he probably winded us.
No more foxes at that point but he did see a badger, some hares and an owl, he had never seen a badger before, so a bit of interest for him.
We then moved on until we reached an opening into the next field, a quick scan and there was a fox crossing right in front of us maybe a 100yds or so and heading for the wood, he disappeared behind a slight rise in the field so I gave a couple of squeaks to pique his interest. Meanwhile I had the sticks up and he mounted the rifle and NV on, foxy appeared from over the rise on the edge of the wood and trotting towards us before disappearing again behind cover. A quick adjustment on the sticks and he was looking straight down the edge of the field.
Foxy appeared again quite a bit closer but unfortunately we were completely silhouetted against a grey moonlit sky so didn’t have much time, he spotted us and sat up on his haunches. I whispered to take the shot, fully expecting to hear a resounding thwack from a 55gr Blitzking but he moved to his right just as the young lad fired.
A lucky fox will live to see another day.
All in all my young companion thoroughly enjoyed the evening and no doubt will want to accompany me again. For me, it was great to be able to introduce a youngster that has never had the opportunity to go shooting, into a sport that has captivated me for over 50 years.
A brief training session with the quad sticks, NV, IR and some safety instructions and we were away, me carrying the sticks for quicker deployment and also spotting with the thermal.
We took my usual route of walking along one side of a long narrow strip of woodland with a small beck through it until I reach a point that overlooks three potential approaches, there I will stand for a couple of hours and have had success on the majority of occasions.
We saw one fox maybe 400yds away traversing the field towards the beck so tried the caller, I thought this might draw him towards us where a bend in the margin would bring him directly into shot about 140 yds away, unfortunately the breeze couldn’t make its mind up and he probably winded us.
No more foxes at that point but he did see a badger, some hares and an owl, he had never seen a badger before, so a bit of interest for him.
We then moved on until we reached an opening into the next field, a quick scan and there was a fox crossing right in front of us maybe a 100yds or so and heading for the wood, he disappeared behind a slight rise in the field so I gave a couple of squeaks to pique his interest. Meanwhile I had the sticks up and he mounted the rifle and NV on, foxy appeared from over the rise on the edge of the wood and trotting towards us before disappearing again behind cover. A quick adjustment on the sticks and he was looking straight down the edge of the field.
Foxy appeared again quite a bit closer but unfortunately we were completely silhouetted against a grey moonlit sky so didn’t have much time, he spotted us and sat up on his haunches. I whispered to take the shot, fully expecting to hear a resounding thwack from a 55gr Blitzking but he moved to his right just as the young lad fired.
A lucky fox will live to see another day.
All in all my young companion thoroughly enjoyed the evening and no doubt will want to accompany me again. For me, it was great to be able to introduce a youngster that has never had the opportunity to go shooting, into a sport that has captivated me for over 50 years.
Always a Tch Tch Tch from me when that happens, but a lucky fox as you say.
Triggermortis
Well-Known Member
Took a punt on an Anschutz 1730 in .22 hornet that I found when I went into a shop for some air gun pellets, the woodwork has a few dings but the bluing is perfect, even still present on the crown and for £190 including the mod my thoughts were if it don’t shoot it’s cheap enough as a doner action.
Cleaned it and took it out to zero it, with Winchester 45g sp’s and PPU’s it’s producing touching groups is needless to say I’m chuffed.
Anyway, took it out to an eggfarm, baited up behind one of the sheds and sat back, an hour later this young lady came wondering through at about 80yds and bingo, hornet christened and home intime for tea and biscuits.
Cleaned it and took it out to zero it, with Winchester 45g sp’s and PPU’s it’s producing touching groups is needless to say I’m chuffed.
Anyway, took it out to an eggfarm, baited up behind one of the sheds and sat back, an hour later this young lady came wondering through at about 80yds and bingo, hornet christened and home intime for tea and biscuits.
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
Lovely when you get a bargain like that. I have an Annie in .22Hornet, 1987 vintage, it's my favorite
Triggermortis
Well-Known Member
Yup, lots of smiles all round except that it’s a 1730 made about 1996 and the mag is discontinued, different to other Annie’s and it seems impossible to find a spare 
To be fair it’s had no use at all really, the bluing is unmarked on the mag so it should last me out but I would still like a spare if I can find one.
Safety feels a bit weird compared to what I’m used to but I’ll get used to it.
To be fair it’s had no use at all really, the bluing is unmarked on the mag so it should last me out but I would still like a spare if I can find one.
Safety feels a bit weird compared to what I’m used to but I’ll get used to it.
Triggermortis
Well-Known Member
Sachets of the cheapest fish based cat food in jelly, I find that a different smell than that of the chickens works a little better, seems to get their interest up enough that they can’t resist investigating the source.
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
Never mind “out last night” - awake at 5, coffee, check of SD posts and quick pop outside for weather update - looking good!
Got dressed, lifted rifle and thermal spotter from upstairs, excitement starting to build - don’t you just love these pre-dawn fox outings…..
Back down 2 minutes later - armed, dangerous and ready to go - absolutely pouring down.
So your man is now fully kitted out, armed to the teeth, adrenalin coursing through him and standing like an eejit in the pitch black listening to the mildly irritating constant drumroll on the conservatory roof! Bugger!
I wonder if Mrs FB is awake…..
Got dressed, lifted rifle and thermal spotter from upstairs, excitement starting to build - don’t you just love these pre-dawn fox outings…..
Back down 2 minutes later - armed, dangerous and ready to go - absolutely pouring down.
So your man is now fully kitted out, armed to the teeth, adrenalin coursing through him and standing like an eejit in the pitch black listening to the mildly irritating constant drumroll on the conservatory roof! Bugger!
I wonder if Mrs FB is awake…..
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