Todays shoot

Went to our better shoot today to try out the U.V deeks in the rape fields and i had some good results. Fifteen minutes in i had my first woodie which i left in the field so i did not blow my cover. Two hours and three downpores later i had six in the bag and cold feet so i headed back to the cattle sheds to try a ambush on the roosting woodies and jackdors. They come in to the sheds to pinch the cattle feed and to shelter from the rain, so it seems a good place to hide out and wait in the dry for them to fly in. As you can see there are many places for them to hide and also loads of hiding places for me too.

Zeroing my rifle scope

I was checking the zero of my scope today just to make sure its bang on for my shoot tomorrow morning. I have a nice long garden and i have built a good backstop to hold my paper targets. Total length from my back door to top of the garden is 30 yards, a perfect length for a zeroing ones rifle.

This is my first target of the day set at 30 yards. The group on the right were before i had re zeroed the scope. As you can see i hit the spot after only 6 shots.

New target put up and 10 shots,10 hits within a 30 mm ring. Set at 30 yards on my backstop, using my weirhauch hw80k with a Simmons 6-18x40 prohunter scope set on 12x zoom (30 x 30). The pellets i use are Bisley superfield .22 which i find are good all round ,for target or hunting.

This is my back yard and you can just see the backstop up by the fence

Over the next few months we at D-V-S will be holding a fun shoot. There will be a paper target range, a different set of targets on range two and other targets around the fields. The winner will get a trophy or medal and the looser will get a jesters hat .It will be a fun time for us all to get together with the competition being for fun. So keep reading the blog to find out more info as we post it as to when and where. Come along and see me and the rest of the D-V-S team and enjoy a fun get together .

Email me at rnpk-dvs@fsmail.net to give us your views on this and to tell us if you would like to come and join us.

Bet you didnt know !

Have you ever come across something that sounds like a joke or just doesn't look right, well that was me when i found out about this "top tip" from Steve price. I know that this is going to sound mad but trust me it works. I found this on "easy airgun hunting disk 2" which is filled with great advise indeed and i thought i would give it a bash, just to see what the outcome would be. All you need is some decoys (shell or full bodied) and a few ULTRA-VIOLET MARKER PENS ,the kind you use to invisibly mark your valuables, and paint the backs of your deeks with the pen (from the white neck bands to about 2 inch before the tail) See told you it sounds mad.

So with 7 painted deeks and 7 non painted i set off to one of our shoots that has an abundance of woodys to test this idea. The non UV deeks went in one tree and 100 yards away went the UV ones. After siting under the non UV tree for over an hour, i had only shot one pigeon, so it was off to the UV tree to try my luck there. I wasn't expecting to get anymore under that one because lets face it how could a pen make any difference . Well loads would be the simple answer because pigeons see in the UV spectrum. Yes it is true and it does work...ask the 9 woodies that are in my shooting bag.

References to back up my test:

insert from "Sporting Shooter Magazine"

Scientists say that pigeons’ eyes have more cones than ours do. Those are the cells inside your eye which spot red, green and blue light. There’s even a special type of cone that we don’t have at all, which sees UV light. So they’re equipped to see more colours than we can, not less. They see colour in four dimensions, where we see only three.

SPRINGERLINK:

The pigeon's sensitivity to ultraviolet and ‘visible’ light .

Summary The pigeon's spectral sensitivity, determined behaviorally between 320 and 640 nm, was maximal at 580 nm. Sensitivity extended into the near-ultraviolet but was, in contrast with previous findings, relatively low at these wavelengths. The discrepancy in results in the UV may be based on functional differences arising from the pigeon's retinal specialization.

STANDING POSITION :

STANDING POSITION :

The standing position is the most demanding of the shooting positions. It places far greater pressure on the shooters ability to remain still in order to release the shot, particularly if the weather conditions or ground contours are not favourable. The main reason for the difficulty is that the position uses more muscles to keep the body in place. These muscles in turn need to be controlled. It is best to start with a position that is as technically perfect as possible and then, through training, modify the position to suit your own body.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO READ THE TABS

Cheek piece adjusted or built up so that the full weight of head rests vertically on the cheek piece with no side pressure.......

Firm grip on the pistol grip (around the same amount you would use to hold a hammer to knock in a nail.)

Looking at the position from above:

a) The feet are placed so that the line to the target passes just in front of the ankles.

b) The pelvis is centred over the support area of the feet but pushed forward towards the target

c) The rifle rests above the centre of the position

.........................................

The rifle is positioned over the elbow which is positioned on or to the left of the crest of the pelvis (when looking from the front). This is then positioned over the centre of the support area formed by the feet. The centre of gravity should fall just in front of the ankle

GAME SPECIES

The law allows authorised persons to control certain species, which include crows, magpies, some gulls and feral pigeons.
This must be done for one of the specific purposes covered by the open general licences which the government issues. These include crop protection and public health and safety.

Game species
Laws passed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries classified various species of birds and mammals as game, and formalised the concept of close seasons, related to breeding cycles, when shooting does not take place. The principal game species are pheasant, partridge, grouse, deer and hares.

GAME LICENCES
Game licences in England and Wales were scrapped on 1 August 2007. They are still required by law in Scotland and Northern Ireland. These should be acquired from your local post office or through BASC Scotland. ("Game" means hares, pheasants, partridges, grouse, heath and moor game and black game. Rabbits are not included).

SHOOTING SEASONS
Species may be killed or taken (dates are inclusive)

Grouse 12th August to 10th December
Ptarmigan 12th August to 10th December
Common snipe 12th August to 31st January
Black game 20th August to 10th December
Partridge 1st September to 1st February
Duck and goose (inland) 1st September to 31st January
Duck and goose (foreshore) 1st September to 20th February
Coot 1st September to 31st January
Moorhen 1st September to 31st January
Golden plover 1st September to 31st January
Pheasant 1st October to 1st February
Woodcock (England & Wales) 1st October to 31st January
Woodcock (Scotland) 1st September to 31st January
Hare No close season. Cannot be sold 1st March to 31st July

GUEST BOOK

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Thanks for looking.

BALLISTIC CALCULATOR

Whilst looking for a ballistic calculator i found a few that you may want to try. I have downloaded both to look at and to find out which one works the best. If you want to download your own copy of these programs then the first is : http://www.chairgun.com/ You get a free copy of the program but if you want to get rid of the splash screens that pop up when you start and finish the program you have the option to register your copy. Regisration costs £10.00 (see web-site for more info). They also have other free programs you can download too (ie Target template other calculators ect)

The other one is from : http://www.hawkeoptics.com/ This program works with most scopes and pellets.

I hope you find these programs usefull.

KNEELING POSITION :

Kneeling Position:

On a Field Target course there are likely to be several compulsory kneeling shots. These often cause problems for shooters who regard the kneeling position as relatively unstable in comparison to their usual sitting position. In fact a properly constructed kneeling position is almost as stable as sitting (or indeed prone). The ISSF shooting disciplines involve shooting in the kneeling position and whilst the Field Target style may have grown from this it differs in many ways.



The kneeling positions of many successful Field Target shooters may outwardly seem to differ a
great deal. No other shooting position is so dependent on the relative lengths of the various limbs of an individual. However closer examination will reveal that fundamentally they all share the same underlying features.



The main difference in the Field Target kneeling position is the fact that it is often set up without the use of a sling. This means that if the position were adopted in the ISSF style with the elbow on or over the knee joint, the rifle would be very unstable laterally. To combat this the elbow is positioned behind the knee joint to allow the forearm to lie along the line of the thigh. This gives more lateral stability and allows the leg to bear some of the weight of the upper body to enable less muscular effort to be used.


Upper body :

With the majority of the body weight on the right heel the upper body can be relaxed so that the remaining load is taken on the left forearm. The back takes on its natural curvature and the shoulders are relaxed. The left hand supports the gun without steering and the right hand holds the pistol grip with a moderate pressure. The right arm is relaxed but does not ‘hang’ from the grip. The head is basically upright and tilted forward to give best balance. With the muscles in this ‘neutral‘ position the gun must point naturally at the target.

Supporting the Rifle :

The most stable support for the fore end of the rifle is if it lies in the flat of the palm with the weight on the heel of the hand. However because the left elbow is often well behind the knee joint a higher hand position is required. These hand positions are often an adaptation of those to be seen in the standing position.

FREESTYLE POSITION :

FreeStyle:

The majority of targets on the Field Target course can be taken freestyle, which as the name suggests, is any position off the competitors choosing. Whilst there are people who have gained some success from other positions the most prominent position for the freestyle section is the sitting position.

This position started life in the early eighties and is
an amalgam of other previous sitting positions used in other disciplines tailored to the special requirements of the air rifle. The advantages of this position are its stability, ease of use, relative comfort and sufficient ground clearance.

The position is constructed as follows. The majority of the weight is taken by the shooting cushion which is a strong waterproof bag part filled with a supportive material (such as polystyrene balls) to a maximum height of 4 inches. The knees are drawn up towards the chest and the rifle supported over the left knee in some way, in the case of the picture by the left elbow. Better stability is achieved if the feet are in full contact with the floor but they must
do so naturally and not be forced downward. Adjusting the height of the cushion may facilitate this. The right hand takes up the grip but does not steer the rifle and the right knee supports the right elbow. The left hand may rest on the right forearm or wherever is convenient so that muscular tension is minimised. The back is allowed to form a natural arch so that tension in the postural muscles is minimised.

It must be noted that the various lengths of an individuals limbs and body will have a great effect on the outward appearance of the position, as they are all interrelated. In all cases the shoulders must be maintained in the same plane as the pelvis when looking from above. If this is not achieved side-to-side movement will result. To facilitate this it is best to use this as the starting point when constructing the position from the outset to ensure a good foundation
for development.

BREATHING TO GIVE A MORE ACCURATE SHOT :

Breathing:

Due to the movement created by breathing it is near impossible to release an accurate shot without holding the breath. However as soon as breathing is suspended the body’s functions begin to deteriorate as hypoxia (oxygen starvation) sets in. The eyes ability to function is the first to go followed by the muscles, which begin to contract erratically. Not least there is a feeling that ‘I must breathe, I must breathe….’ as the body tries to protect itself. All of which are not conducive to firing a controlled shot. These ill effects can be avoided if breathing is suspended for only a short period of time. This is around 10 seconds on an exhalation, slightly more on inhalation. When breathing in, the chest muscles become tense, relaxing as you breath out. As we desire to reduce tension in a shooting position it is therefore desirable to suspend breathing on exhalation.

The following diagram shows a typical breathing pattern:

The bottom of a normal breath. It is possible to breath out more but not completely empty the lungs.




The top of a normal breath. It is possible to breath in more (hyperventilate).
It can be seen that the breathing is generally within the rhythm of a normal breath. In this case the shooter takes 3 normal breaths and towards the bottom of an exhalation the breathing is suspended for around 10 seconds whilst the shot is released and follow through takes place. The actual point of the pause, the number and depth of the breaths etc. is quite individual and depends upon the physiology of the shooter. What is important is that the pause in breathing is not extended beyond the 10 seconds. It is preferable to release the shot and follow through in considerably less than that, around 4 to 6 seconds. This may be possible in good conditions however it may be necessary to use more time in bad weather. In any case if the shot is not fired in the time that is normal for you discipline yourself to bring down the rifle, take a few breaths to re-oxygenate the blood and repeat the process.