"ol'Tim" 350 .22's 1st kill of the season!

[only1harry]

I tried to get up early this morning to do some hunting because the cold temps (39deg @ 6am) bring the hungry nutters out, but I couldn't get out of bed until later.  I had to go to work very late last night because of some problems.  I didn't get to bed until 2am and I blew my chances of some good hunting in the morning.  

So I decided to do some target shooting with "ol' Tim", the 350 .22 Tim donated to me last winter (thanks Timmy!!).  For the 1st time I tried out Predators and it really likes them!!  I was shooting some very good groups at 30yds.  Mostly 1 ragged hole and tight clover leaf groups.  I think the Preds are as good as the JSB Jumbos on this finely tuned 350!  I was excited I had found another pellet the 350 really liked.
   
Around 4pm I went out to refill my bird feeder and I heard a very faint noise up in the trees.  I turn around and there is a squirrel no more than 15ft away on the trunk of a tree that had froze and was staring me down.  I pretended I didn't see him and continued filling the feeder and casually walked back to the house.  I grabbed the 350 and loaded a 16.5gr Predator.  Threw 2 more in my shirt pocket and went to my favorite window.  The view however from the 2nd floor was much different.  I could not see that tree trunk (and others) due to many branches extending out and bending from all the weight of the leaves, thus blocking my field of view of many of most of the lower tree trunks.  I waited and scanned the trees for 15min. but no movement.  I then went out to the porch to check the trees on the side of the house.  I crawed under the open window and slowly raised my head and scanned the trees.  The wind was gusting on & off at 15-20mph and the leaves were already falling.  I sat there for about another 10min. and then I noticed something out of place.  While all the leaves were moving to the side, 1 branch was moving up & down!  The wind then subsided again, and I zeroed in on that branch about 22yds out.  1-2min. later again the branch goes up & down 2-3 times but with very subtle movements.  I knew it had to be a bird or a squirrel.  The tip of that branch was too leafy and I could not see much of anything.  I then looked through the scope and noticed a tiny bit of gray through the leaves.  It's has to be a squirrel but I had no shot.  I waited & watched while the branch moved several more times and I was convinced it was a nutter.  5min. later it finally came out and jumped on to another parallel branch while chewing something and then started cleaning itself.  It had no idea the 350 was already pointed at it and the crosshairs were on it.  Just the way I like it  He was clueless of my presense.  I did not have a great broadside shot since it was mostly facing me, so I just aimed under the ear and calculated the pellet's path should be up & back through the neck.  I squeezed the trigger and heard a solid "thud" as the Predator struck the nutter.  He fell immediately and died very quickly with no death dance.  Only kicked 5-6 times with the hind legs.  Its body never moved from where it fell.

The pellet had hit pretty much where I was aiming and traveled up through the neck to the upper body but there was no exit wound.  That was surprising to me.  I thought it would exit being that I shot it with a Magnum Springer, but the Predator is a hollow point pellet after all, and it doesn't penetrate as deep as the domed 16gr JSB or other domed pellets.  It was dark under the trees and my camera batteries started getting low so the flash stopped working.  My wife then called me in because we were going out to dinner so I didn't even have time to clean him to see where the pellet ended up (the opposite shoulder bone looked dislocated).  I decided to use it as crow bait tomorrow because I have not been able to get a shot off a crow this season so far and I 'm getting desperate.  
BTW, when we got back a few min. ago, I ran 6-7 Predators through the Chrony with the 350 and it was very consistent.  753-757fps, only 4fpe ES(!) for 20.9 ft-lbs avg.  The JSB jumbos yield 21.9fpe (785fps avg.), 1fpe more.  So clearly the 350 performs better with the Jumbos and that would be the ideal pellet to shoot, and probably better for the internals.  I like the Preds and their accuracy in this gun so I will continue shooting them, but the Jumbos will remain the primary ammo for the 350.

[1shotwander]

Nice to see that people are still gettting nutters.. It's not cold enough here in PA yet.. When the nutters see you they just high tail it up the tree to hide... I'd say in another 2-3 weeks is when they will start barking at me and the kid,, then it's just like shopping,, which one first? That reminds me, my son found this nice spot to sit for squirrels.. Right at acorn trees, and it's nice and open.. 80 yard shots no problem... but with a red-dot it's kinda far out!

Nice shooting Harry, can't wait to see your bandit kills soon... You ever think of shooting bandits with something else besides those Condors?

[dk1677]

Nice shooting Harry!

[only1harry]

Thanks guys!  

Cody:  
When does the season start in PA?  You should be able to shoot some now..  

My Condors won't get used as much this winter.  Springers are fashionable again.. to me  

I plan on getting a few bandidts with this 350.  Hopefully a country rat too    There is really no small-game animal the 350 can't take inside 40yds.  That includes coyotes.  I would not hesitate shooting a coyote with it out to 30-35yds.  A 21-22fpe airgun cannot be underestimated, especially in the hands of someone that is very accurate with it.  Just don't ask me to shoot very small targets with it off-hand  From any kind of "rest", I can hit bottle caps at 40yds.  I have actually not missed once with this gun yet.  It's taken Starlings, squirrels, crow (last season), and Groundhogs without a single miss.  This tuned 350 is much better than a factory stock one, but it still takes a lot of practice to learn the hold and its idiosynracies.  Once you "learn" the gun, it makes 3/8" ragged hole groups almost easy.

[longislandhunter]

That's the way to do it Harry     nice shooting and great pics.   That 350 sure looks nice laying next to her harvest......

Jeff

[only1harry]

Thanks Jeff.  The 350 "laying" there like you said, almost litterally would have laid there on the ground after it fell from leaning up against the tree.  When I went to pick it up again after the pics, it was a hair away from falling!  As you can probably tell from the incline, it's a hill I was taking the pics on.  It's very hard to balance the rifle on a 40deg incline.  I avoid putting the gun on the ground because there is poison ivy or traces/spores of it everywhere.  That is one of the last remaining clear areas up there where I take the pics and it provides good concealment from the neighbors seeing a nut taking pics  I have a couple of new neighbors now since the previous owners lost their jobs and sold their homes, and I don't want to give them the "wrong impression" of me, hehe.  I need to get a big log like your guys and place it directly behind the house where there are good "blind spots"

[airiscool]

Great shooting Harry.

You have a PM.

Paul.

[jake]

nice shot!

[gamo2hammerli]

Harry, excellent shot at that nutter with your .22 RWS 350 Magnum.  The .22 Pred smacked him good.....no chance for him.

[only1harry]

Thanks guys.  My brother had twins today so I didn't get to use the squirrel for crow bait yet.  He is still out there in a bag about 5ft off the ground.  Tomorrow I 'm hoping to get some time and leave him out in the open to attract some crows, that is if a cat doesn't decide to steal it.

[atchman2]

Nice shooting with that 350!  I've never tried the Jumbos in mine, just the Preds, CPHPs, and the Domed JSB pellets. I have tried the Crow Mags, but didn't like them as they are almost too heavy for the longer ranged shots.  Maybe I'll order some!

[tylorw]

Very nice shooting with good ol' Tim Harry!

Looks like you got him good  :emoticon:

Keep Up The Great Shooting This Season

Tylor

[1shotwander]

Harry, the season opens for regular (people holding regular hunting licences) on the 17th.. not to far away.. but to far!

[only1harry]

Thanks Randy and Tylor.

Randy:  The JSB Jumbo Exacts I use are domed as well.  They are the 15.9/16gr pellets. When you say you use the JSB domed, do you mean the 14.3gr Express? Those are pricey, aren't they?  JSB makes 3 popular domed pellets:  the 14.3 Express, the 15.9gr Jumbo (which I use) and the 18gr Heavy which came out this year.  

Cody: hang in there buddy, less than 3 days left!!  Can you use your Big Cat for tree rats? I think you said it's not legal? That would really stink, but you like rimmies anyway, right?  

[1shotwander]

Harry-- I can use the big cat if the tree rats come into my yard.. But thats it.. Pest control..This year I only had 2 squirrels that ventured into my yard.. '08 I had 6 or 7 that ventured into the yard.... I might be able to shoot groundhogs with an airgun... As there is no closed season for them.. but it once again falls into the "grey area"..Oh yeah that reminds me.. I saw a groundhog this after noon... I don't know what was up with it.. Fatter then ever, out in high 30, low 40's while raining... Woulda shot it, but didn't have any weapon on me... I got within 20 yards of the thing... Thing was like as big as a raccoon at the start of winter... big as ever,,, the groundhog coundn't even run away.. had to waddle away... I'm thinking of going out squirrel hunting tomorrow... But it's been raining here like non-stop since like thurs. morning... and the forcast for tomorrow doesn't look to promissing.. My son went out almost everyday tree rat hunting.. and hasn't even shot one shot off!!.. Yup jacketed HP rounds for the 22 rimmie, and #6 shot for the 12ga