Hey All,
No post latelyfor me----been reading and following along for awhile----I started into airguns in Sept. with all the great news about the s1k--been great fun--bought my son (10 y/o)the shadow 640--loves it.
I've had some recent experience with hunting the JSB predators. They are very accurate in my rifle and hit pretty hard. I hunt squirrels and birdswith these pellets. I've learned(the hard way) that you really do need to make headshots or these guys will run away and hide. Hunt Date 11/09/06 time 4:30 pm, sunny, 77 degrees, location--acres of woods behind a friend's(soon to be known as Furrtrader--unless of course he hates the nickname) house, quarry--squirrels. We walk quietly, 20 yds. apart, each 3 steps and stop, 3 steps and stop,stalking, watching the trees ahead. AHA!!!!I spy anutter,he's eating nuts on a low branch with a full side-view profile---I can't ask for a better view. I quietly, carefully kneel, make a solid position, crosshairs on his face---distance 27 yds, inhale, exhale slowly--concentrate, concentrate, relax. Slowly I pull the trigger----Thwack!!!! down he goes---he flips and flops behind some brush (no chance for a follow-up shot)--then after 10 seconds he stops. I make my way to him----check the damage---RIGHT THROUGH THE EYE!!! In the righteye and out the left cheek. But wait, a second nutter (from the same tree) has moved about 25 yards to somefurther trees for shelter. He sticks his head around the side to watch me, all I can see is his head and a little bit of neck---again, I slowly take aim--- this time off-hand...carefully, carefully, I ease the trigger---thwack!! I hear a hit--he's been knocked off the tree and I hear him thrashing on the ground. I make my way to him--come around the tree and ----He's gone!!!---he's moving through some brush---obviously injured due to his sluggishness---but still moving pretty well. He heads up a tree and tries to hide 40 feet up.The Furrtradertakes a shot with his new crosman storm XT in .177--using predators---Thwack!! hits through the ribs---and off the rat goes again!! Moving through the tree tops fairly well...he finally stops--30 yd. or so distance--I aim, thwack behind the shoulder blade! And off he goes again!!! #@*#! We give chase, he stops in a high tree top hiding in some leaves--all I can see is a small part of his back(thick twigs, leaves and branches concealing him) in my desperation to end his suffering I carefully aim---thwack!!! down he comes, crashing through branches, leaves and twigs flying, down, down, he hits the forest floor---thump!!! We make our way towards him to claim our kill---but wait!.... he's now dragging himself along the ground with his front feet!---the predator broke his back paralyzing his back legs---and he's still going.FurrTrader has a clear shot,takes aim---thwack! through the head---finally, at last, he's still. We inspect him to see where we went wrong---I see my first shot--it's a clean shot in the neck above his shoulder and just below his jaw! This was the shot that knocked him out of the tree--the exit wound on his left side higher on the neck (the shot angled up and out) I would've thought this one would've dropped him like a rock--must've missed the vitals. The rest of the shots hurt, but it took one last head shot to end it. We walk a bit further--The FurrTrader takes aim--I look up trying to see what he sees---thwack!!! Then I see it.... about 45-50 ft up--a squirrel is falling, crashing throughsome branches--all the way down to the floor---he lands with a crash---------and starts running?!! We are shocked--not believing that he survived a 45 foot free-fall!! Off he goes up another tree--he's injured but moving quickly--then disappears into a hollow tree!! Wewait for him to reappear, while waiting we study the area where he crash landed--blood smeared all over, 10 minutes , still no sign. We shoot up at the hole he climbed into--trying to scare him out. Shot after shot, nothing. A few more minutes, two more shots....and then, he makes a break, moving pretty well. He finally stops 40 yds. away and hides--watching us---ah, but we see him. FurrTrader shoots again, Thwack!! and off he goes----Man, we must be really poor shots!!! He stops again further ahead----I walk around--take aim--thwick! splitting tree barkI miss--he presents on the other side to my friend the FurrTrader---thwack!!! he's down and done. We inspect to find out what went wrong yet again! First shot was well placed behind the left shoulder blade---exit wound in front of the right shoulder blade (the rat was facing left angling away for a shot that should've gone directly into the heart/lung area). We always try to take responsible high percentage--one shot kills, but not always successful. We've hunted with other pellets (crow-magnums and Cros. hollowpoints from Wal-mart) and have had similar issues. The moral to the story is... these little guys are tough as nails and if you don't have a great, I mean GREAT head shot--don't even try it. As a warm-up I hit a bottle cap twice at 18 yds. dead center and the next one 1/4" higher on the same cap. We regularyhit our "shoot-n-C's" in the middle with ctc of 1" (sometimes better) at 25 yds.FurrTraderand I feel like we shoot pretty well. I'm beginning to thinkI mightneed to buy a .22 to really do the job quickly and humanely (more impact, wider wound channel, etc..) Hopefully I don't get torched for sharing these true stories since they weren't"one shot one kill" like I see in almost every other person's post!!I'm just trying to be accurate with my story--if you all think I need more practice--just let me know. Otherwise I'm beginning to think thatmany ofthese "one shot kills" have been, shall I say, a bit stretched? Please let me make myself clear, I'm definitely not saying that everyone is fibbing (heck I had a one shot kill too), but it's a lot harder to take these guys out than I anticipated. I'll post the pics when I figure out how to do it.---Thanks for reading and sharing your stories--love toread'em---wife thinks I'm crazy---not crazy just hooked!
Hope y'all enjoyed reading as much as we enjoyed getting!
BpHurns--ChattanoogaTransplant and author of this story with references to;
The Furrtrader (my hunting partner)
