1st the deed itself: I just nailed 2 female hosps w/ one shot from my 1389 Backpacker. Head shot on the 1st, the same pellet hit the pavement and ricocheted into the chest of another female hosp about a foot away. Both DRT.
These are Hosps: a pest / invasive avian species. Aka English Sparrows.
http://www.sialis.org/hospphotos.htm
https://www.loyalpest.com/pest-info/birds/house-sparrow/#:~:text=House%20Sparrows%20in%20Central%20and%20Eastern%20Virginia%20Sparrows,can%20carry%20pathogens%20that%20are%20harmful%20to%20humans.
https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/wildlife-nature-environment/controlling-house-sparrows/
Backstory: Anyone ever order anything from https://mellonair.myfreesites.net ? That's Charles Mellon's website: aka MellonAir.
Charles has the best prices of anyone in the custom parts biz for air guns. He does GREAT work, bar none. There is one tiny little catch though, that has been going on since he started up a decade or more ago. Wait Time: his home page says "Most orders will go out in 7-10 days." That's business days. Up to 2 weeks in other words. W/ the medical crisis going on, the wait time for his parts has increased markedly.
Halfway through January 2021, I ordered a 12 inch barrel for my flat topped Crosman 1377 from him. I had the intention of making my 1377 more backyard friendly.As we all know, flat topped 1377's / 1322's shoot LOUD. At the same time I ordered a 5.75 inch slim LDC from Geo Schoonmaker of Airgun Universe. (Unfortunately, Geo is now out of the custom parts business ... too bad, his prices were outstanding too).
My LDC arrived in a week; but, I had to wait 2 month's for my barrel to get to me. Mid March was when I got it.
By that time I already had a backyard friendly .177, a Winchester 1977XS w/ 1 of Geo's LDC's on it, my review of that is: https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/winchester-1977xs-velocity-and-accuracy-testing-ggg/?view=all#post-962795
Anyway, after the 2nd recurring dream of putting the barrel and LDC on my 1377, I figured it was time for me to obey my subconscious and get off of my lazy butt and do it. This was the middle of April.
Charles also crowned the new barrel and while re-sighting it in w/ my NcStar 2.5X30 for 10 yards at my inside range to start, found I was easily shooting sub half inch groups. Then I put the LDC on and MAN did that thing now shoot QUIET!
I sighted it in at 20 yards outside. That flat topped 1377 was about to become a VERY wicked backyard shooter. So I thought.....
My flat topped 1377 w/ its new 12 inch barrel and 5.75 inch LDC turned out to be a tad muzzle heavy for my taste. It was GREAT for bench resting; but, not so great w/ a two handed Weaver grip for hunting.
No biggie. On the 22nd of April I ordered a #1399 shoulder stock from Crosman to make it a makeshift 1389. Again, as we all know, Crosman a decade or so ago used to sell its 1389 / 2289 Backpackers w/ a 12 inch barrel. Something about the volume inside a 12 inch .177 barrel being equal to the air pressure inside an OEM valve, as I recall.
Shoulder stock arrived on April 27th. I put it on, then mounted my Tasco 3-7X20mm on the steel breech, then sighted it in at a preliminary 10 yards using Crosman 7.9 gr CPHP's. Sub half inch groups were again the norm. Just like the BRing I did w/ it.
Yesterday, I shot my 1st male hosp off my birdfeeder w/ it. I was considering nailing this rather pesky squirrel too. Trouble is, my neighbors tend to make pets of the local squirrels. It would likely be missed. Who am I to kill someones 'pet' squirrel?
Anyway, I now have a homemade, scoped Crosman 1389 w/ an LDC for quiet shots. One male hosp yesterday and 2 female hosps today. So far.
As the days go by, I will likely be adding to this thread. There are still around 2 dozen hosp's in the neighborhood. And pigeons, etc.
These are Hosps: a pest / invasive avian species. Aka English Sparrows.
http://www.sialis.org/hospphotos.htm
https://www.loyalpest.com/pest-info/birds/house-sparrow/#:~:text=House%20Sparrows%20in%20Central%20and%20Eastern%20Virginia%20Sparrows,can%20carry%20pathogens%20that%20are%20harmful%20to%20humans.
https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/wildlife-nature-environment/controlling-house-sparrows/
Backstory: Anyone ever order anything from https://mellonair.myfreesites.net ? That's Charles Mellon's website: aka MellonAir.
Charles has the best prices of anyone in the custom parts biz for air guns. He does GREAT work, bar none. There is one tiny little catch though, that has been going on since he started up a decade or more ago. Wait Time: his home page says "Most orders will go out in 7-10 days." That's business days. Up to 2 weeks in other words. W/ the medical crisis going on, the wait time for his parts has increased markedly.
Halfway through January 2021, I ordered a 12 inch barrel for my flat topped Crosman 1377 from him. I had the intention of making my 1377 more backyard friendly.As we all know, flat topped 1377's / 1322's shoot LOUD. At the same time I ordered a 5.75 inch slim LDC from Geo Schoonmaker of Airgun Universe. (Unfortunately, Geo is now out of the custom parts business ... too bad, his prices were outstanding too).
My LDC arrived in a week; but, I had to wait 2 month's for my barrel to get to me. Mid March was when I got it.
By that time I already had a backyard friendly .177, a Winchester 1977XS w/ 1 of Geo's LDC's on it, my review of that is: https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/winchester-1977xs-velocity-and-accuracy-testing-ggg/?view=all#post-962795
Anyway, after the 2nd recurring dream of putting the barrel and LDC on my 1377, I figured it was time for me to obey my subconscious and get off of my lazy butt and do it. This was the middle of April.
Charles also crowned the new barrel and while re-sighting it in w/ my NcStar 2.5X30 for 10 yards at my inside range to start, found I was easily shooting sub half inch groups. Then I put the LDC on and MAN did that thing now shoot QUIET!
I sighted it in at 20 yards outside. That flat topped 1377 was about to become a VERY wicked backyard shooter. So I thought.....
My flat topped 1377 w/ its new 12 inch barrel and 5.75 inch LDC turned out to be a tad muzzle heavy for my taste. It was GREAT for bench resting; but, not so great w/ a two handed Weaver grip for hunting.
No biggie. On the 22nd of April I ordered a #1399 shoulder stock from Crosman to make it a makeshift 1389. Again, as we all know, Crosman a decade or so ago used to sell its 1389 / 2289 Backpackers w/ a 12 inch barrel. Something about the volume inside a 12 inch .177 barrel being equal to the air pressure inside an OEM valve, as I recall.
Shoulder stock arrived on April 27th. I put it on, then mounted my Tasco 3-7X20mm on the steel breech, then sighted it in at a preliminary 10 yards using Crosman 7.9 gr CPHP's. Sub half inch groups were again the norm. Just like the BRing I did w/ it.
Yesterday, I shot my 1st male hosp off my birdfeeder w/ it. I was considering nailing this rather pesky squirrel too. Trouble is, my neighbors tend to make pets of the local squirrels. It would likely be missed. Who am I to kill someones 'pet' squirrel?
Anyway, I now have a homemade, scoped Crosman 1389 w/ an LDC for quiet shots. One male hosp yesterday and 2 female hosps today. So far.
As the days go by, I will likely be adding to this thread. There are still around 2 dozen hosp's in the neighborhood. And pigeons, etc.
