This it the time of the year when I recap on what went wrong and what went right with the past hunting season. I am not too proud to admit that there were mistakes. I am posting this so other newbies might learn from this as well!
What went wrong: Since I am fairly new to "purposely" hunting squirrel with an air rifle, I have noticed that in preparation (sighting in, pellet choice, etc.) I made some simple mistakes that cost me in bagging my query. First, my selection of optics. I selected a high magnification, SF scope that worked great on the bench but sucked in the field. I found myself trying to adjust for optimal clarity, in the process missing opportunities to take a clean shot. Since I had the yardage marks on the SF wheel, I didn't take along my range finder, big mistake! Also, sighting in and practice, I concentrated on the longer shots (50-70yrds) and neglected the 15 - 30 yrd practice. Most of my shots were taken in the neglected ranges and I found myself guessing on the holdover, consequently, missing A LOT. I also made mistakes on the pellet choice and power setting for my AG. I selected the most accurate pellet I found and the most power that the gun could push said pellet. Looked great on the bench but coupled with the above statements, I ended up "ice picking" and missing the vitals more than I should have causing 2nd and sometimes 3rd shots; which I am not proud of!
What went right: Experience! Knowledge! With all the mistakes, I was down and frustrated and almost gave up. I figured since I couldn't hunt, I might as well read. Forums, books, articles, etc. Whatever I could get my hands on to satisfy my need for AG knowledge. What I found was that I wasn't alone. There are quite a few articles that give steps to make you a more successful hunter. One such book suggested to just observe; so I did. I went out to the woods and just observed. Using my rifle to spot and only visualizing the shot without even touching the trigger. This actually helped with identifying the wrongs.
Changes already made: Since my season is over, I have already started making changes. First I took the high power scope off of my hinting rig and mounted a 3-9, without an adjustable objective, and sighted in at 25 yrds. It kinda sounds odd to not have AF but it is clear for the distances I am currently shooting, without any parallax shift. I have also changed my pellet and power. I found a "hunting pellet" that provides excellent energy dump with lower penetration and still groups great out to 50 yrds. The rifle has been tuned to shot these at ~850fps. This combination should allow for better knock down in the event I don't make the perfect shot. I am currently concentrating on the closer shots... 15-40 yrds. I figure if the bushy tail is farther than that, he gets a pass! As soon as I get a chance, I will be shooting pine cones out of trees. This will allow me to practice how much lower I need to hold in order to make a clean kill at a given angle.
Any of the old pros that have suggestions; I would love to hear them. I plan on making next season as successful as possible!
PS: I am not a journalist or a writer. Sometimes my mind understands but my fingers don't.
What went wrong: Since I am fairly new to "purposely" hunting squirrel with an air rifle, I have noticed that in preparation (sighting in, pellet choice, etc.) I made some simple mistakes that cost me in bagging my query. First, my selection of optics. I selected a high magnification, SF scope that worked great on the bench but sucked in the field. I found myself trying to adjust for optimal clarity, in the process missing opportunities to take a clean shot. Since I had the yardage marks on the SF wheel, I didn't take along my range finder, big mistake! Also, sighting in and practice, I concentrated on the longer shots (50-70yrds) and neglected the 15 - 30 yrd practice. Most of my shots were taken in the neglected ranges and I found myself guessing on the holdover, consequently, missing A LOT. I also made mistakes on the pellet choice and power setting for my AG. I selected the most accurate pellet I found and the most power that the gun could push said pellet. Looked great on the bench but coupled with the above statements, I ended up "ice picking" and missing the vitals more than I should have causing 2nd and sometimes 3rd shots; which I am not proud of!
What went right: Experience! Knowledge! With all the mistakes, I was down and frustrated and almost gave up. I figured since I couldn't hunt, I might as well read. Forums, books, articles, etc. Whatever I could get my hands on to satisfy my need for AG knowledge. What I found was that I wasn't alone. There are quite a few articles that give steps to make you a more successful hunter. One such book suggested to just observe; so I did. I went out to the woods and just observed. Using my rifle to spot and only visualizing the shot without even touching the trigger. This actually helped with identifying the wrongs.
Changes already made: Since my season is over, I have already started making changes. First I took the high power scope off of my hinting rig and mounted a 3-9, without an adjustable objective, and sighted in at 25 yrds. It kinda sounds odd to not have AF but it is clear for the distances I am currently shooting, without any parallax shift. I have also changed my pellet and power. I found a "hunting pellet" that provides excellent energy dump with lower penetration and still groups great out to 50 yrds. The rifle has been tuned to shot these at ~850fps. This combination should allow for better knock down in the event I don't make the perfect shot. I am currently concentrating on the closer shots... 15-40 yrds. I figure if the bushy tail is farther than that, he gets a pass! As soon as I get a chance, I will be shooting pine cones out of trees. This will allow me to practice how much lower I need to hold in order to make a clean kill at a given angle.
Any of the old pros that have suggestions; I would love to hear them. I plan on making next season as successful as possible!
PS: I am not a journalist or a writer. Sometimes my mind understands but my fingers don't.
