2 more grackles nailed by 850

[only1harry]

After this one grackle has been getting away from me for a few days I finally figured out a new way to get him.  I put all the screen windows up in my porch and the blinds down.  These blinds came with the house when I bought them and they are made out of wood.  The good thing about them is I can see through the little openings/cracks but the critters can't see me.  They 're like hunting blinds!  

I 've been watching this 1 Grackle creat havock amongst the birds and nests all along the trees in my back yard.  He has been chased away several times by many song birds from those trees and there has even been some very noisy fighting.  It always ends up with the Grackle taking flight with 1 or 2 birds on his tail.  I have several beautiful Oreols and some other orange and blue birds living on those trees as well as many finches and Robins.      

After only about 15min. sitting in my porch, I catch a glimse of a black shadow flying by one of the windows.  I carefully stand up and approach the blind to look outside.  Sure enough, the Evian scum lands in my back yard about 18yds away.  I slowly push the blind away with the 850's barrel.  He came to get a drink from a little pool of water but I made that his last.  I put the crosshairs on his chest as he seemed to look up at me and squeeze the trigger.  The 14.3gr CP found its target and he just went down forward with his head down.  

A few seconds later I hear another Grackle.  About a minute later of making noise, I see it on a branch about 20ft away from the dead one.  A few more secs pass and it lands just a few inches from its partner holding a red berry in its beak.  Could 've been its mother since it was it had a more shiny coat and food in its mouth.  I reload and take the shot.  I see feathers going up and the Grackle ran to some bushes and up the hill behind my house.  I see it making small jumps up and climbed one of the trees up on top of the hill by jumping to it from a short younger tree.  I ran downstairs and from the bottom of the hill and after about a minute I re-locate it.  It's further up on a branch about 45ft away at the top of the hill almost above the neighbor's lawn.  It's well camouflaged but I can see part of it behind some leaves.  I aim and shoot again.  This time it dropped but couldn't see where it landed.  I put the gun away and carefully climb up the hill.  It gets very steep at the top but I pull myself up by using various branches and tree trunks.  I get up where I thought it was and can't find it.  I look across the neighbor's lawn, nothing, only 2 Starlings about 20yds out.  They had no clue I was there, that's how thick the brush is over there.  I 'm thinking this would be a great hiding place if the neighbor would give me permission to do some pest control on his property but he doesn't like me shooting my airguns so that was only a fantasy.  Besides, I need to use both hands to climb up that hill and hold on for my life.  A min. later I located a g-hog hole a few feet away from where the Grackle was shot right at the base of a tree 3ft before the hill levels off and the neighbor's lawn starts.  It's possible the Grackle fell in there accidentally or went down voluntarily.  Oh well, after about a 5min. search I gave up and went back down again which took longer than to climb up.  My property only goes up 3/4 of the hill so I didn't feel to comfortable hanging around there.  Besides I seemed to have scared a lot of the resident song birds as they were all making a lot of noise but I couldn't spot any of them.  These maple trees are very tall and the leaves were so thick I could only see maybe 20ft up.  

Oh well I 'm sure that 2nd Grackle is a gonner.  I know at least he can't fly, so that 2 less bullies around.    

[Timmyj1959@yahoo.com]

Way to go Harry!! As always, nice story & pics! Seems your liking the "Gray Side" with that 850 no?? Word on the street is you may be going Dark?? He He He!! Im still working on a deal myself for a big bore. Also Im starting to really want a Disco! Seems Tim N may be making custom stocks for them soon. HMMMM. Tim.

[gamo2hammerli]

"Besides, I need to use both hands to climb up that hill and hold on for my life"- only1harry

That's when a guitar strap used as a sling comes in handy.  Btw very nice rifle, shooting and hunting story.  Congrats on 2 hits..

[only1harry]

Well the stock is synthetic and the rifle pretty light.  I can't see myself putting a sling on it but you never know..  

Tim:  Yes, I like the "gray" side of the 850 just fine.  No need to go "dark" with it.  It serves its purpose very well.  It's perfect for birds to 30+yds and squirrels to 25yds and it's not too loud.  I don't need to make it any louder than it is.  It's really a very good 12fpe backyard gun.  I 'll do the hammer spring mod soon to get that extra 40fps or 13.5fpe but that's about it, maybe a 9oz CO2 bottle but it won't look as pretty :) Don't know, will see..   I 'm definitely going to the "dark side" soon.  I 'd like to have a new 40+fpe PCP when hunting season opens in the Fall.

[Timmyj1959@yahoo.com]

Hey Harry, did not mean to imply mod the 850 to HPA,, Oh no, not too cost effective in my opinion. I really am not even too fond of adding the "Big Bottle" c-o2 to it, kinda takes away from an otherwise "clean" looking gun. The internal mods such as the hammer spring I think would be cool to bump it up a tad. Was just funnin with Ya cause I have been "bitten" by the "Dark Side" myself,, Thanks one whole he$$ of alot Gene, Kirby,Jon,Jay, & all the others that "Forced" me to shoot thiers last weekend!! GEEEEEZZZZ Tim.

[shadow]

Again great shot Harry, looking foward to more from you.:) Ed

[only1harry]

Thanks Ed,

Tim:
I agree.  HPA or that 9oz bottle completely changes the looks of the 850.  It may appeal to some but not me.  I am not willing to "deface" my gun just for some more power and end up not liking its looks.  A good looking or clean looking gun means a lot to me, more than power.

I may use the 9oz bottle in the winter, not sure yet.  It's definitely cheaper than buying A/S cylinders and I 'm told it shoots more predictably and consistently with that big bottle and the hammer spring mod, cause I had 1-2 misses in the winter (crows) with the power-loss of the cold temps and all that..  I can switch back to the A/S bottles quickly if I don't modify the 850's valve which I don't plan to.