GTA
General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Hunting Gate => : gamo2hammerli October 20, 2008, 03:12:47 AM
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Finally the Gamo Big Cat drew blood........
It's been over 2 months since I shot a grackle. Had a semi-warm day Saturday and one of the last few flocks (I think most of the grackles have flown south for the winter) decided to land on my backyard and trees. Since it was early in the morning and less people walking/driving around I decided to use my Gamo Big Cat (I have not used it and the Crosman Storm and Sierra Pro due to their loud report) on it. Grackles were about 1 story up in a tree about 15 meters away. I positioned myself inside my patio so that if I missed, the pellet would hit the branches behind the bird that I've chosen. One last check to see if there's any neigbours or walkers going by....none....scope on target, squeeze da trigger and pop....down goes the grackle....it went down so fast I thought I missed. The rest of the flock flew off. I went over to the foot of the tree and the grackle's there....dead by the .177 pellet that went through it....broke the wing, went through the chest and out the other side.
Btw, it's the first speckled grackle I've shot....the previous ones' were all black. The grackle have been de-feathered and simmered in soup already. :o) Forgot to mention....have to give credit where it deserves!!!....it was a WalMart Daisy .177 wadcutter that I used. At that close distance....it wouldn`t have missed.....don`t know how they`re for longer shots though.
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Congratulations Stanly on your nice shot. Judging from your photo, your speckled Grackle sort'a looks like the wiley European Starlings I see here in my part of the world . Either way you done good.
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Good shot Stanley!! You Big cat is now a "veteran" :-)
BTW, you got a Starling! Did you read any of the PM's I sent you about Grackles vs. Starlings? :-)
Grackles are all black, bigger, and don't have spots. This is a Starling which sometimes have a yellow beak depending on age or season.
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Good shooting! I especially appreciated the way you considered what was behind your target, like the branches behind the grackle, to stop the pellet from carrying downrange and possibly hurting someone. Sometimes it's easy in the heat of the moment to forget that part.
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Thanks guys. Yes Harry I read your grackle and crow messages....very infomative, thanks. GoodOIRWS45 I had about 8 grackles to choose from.....I had alot of time to pick the one with the most branches behind it as a back-stop.
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8 Starlings, not Grackles! You shot a Starling buddy! hehe
Stephanie: Please help.. You 're the bird expert :) I don't think Stanley believes me or he 's just busting my chops :)
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Good shot and the feathered critter Stanley , the Cat got some lunch too.:) Ed
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Sorry harry.....the old brain`s stuck in first gear. heh heh Saw two crows yesterday after I got home....by the time I grabbed the Gamo Whisper.....they had already flown off. It would have been a pretty easy shot.....about 25 meters from a 2nd story window. Oh well, next time....