Yesterday, I bought a solution to my problem of stolen figs:
My new Remington Genesis 1000x .177 cal air rifle with Crosman 3-9 x 40 scope will be providing fresh-killed squirrels to the local wildlife for a while. It weighs 7.8 lbs and spits out pellets at almost 1000 fps with the pointed lead Crosman pellets I'm using.
It took me about 10 shots to get the scope zeroed in - it was way out of whack when I first mounted it. I had to turn the vertical 3 complete rounds and the horizontal 2 complete rounds to get it close enough to fine tune. Once I did that, I took a couple shots at my rubber target and got it on second try. Then I packed it up and put it away to await an opportunity.
About two hours later a squirrel ventured out into the open in our back yard. I loaded the rifle and took two extra pellets, in case I got an extra opportunity. I crept out the side door, but the squirrel had scampered away. I wandered around a bit and then saw him at the base of a tree about 30 yards away. I took aim and POP - got him on the first shot!
I really wanted to get a rifle with a wood stock only because I liked the look better, but they were typically about 2-3 lbs heavier. The gun guy at the Gander Mountain store was only slightly helpful and said that a few of his customers had said they were quite happy with the Remington Genesis. In reading reviews, a couple gun critics said that the Gamo Shadow is a more accurate rifle (not sure which model they were talking about), so if you are looking for something similar, you might consider comparing these two. Based on some magazine ads that I'd seen in the past couple months during my initial search, I paid about $100 more than I had expected to get the rifle and a few accessories, but that first kill was so satisfying that it was worth every penny. And, this is a rifle that will provide me many years of service with proper maintenance, so the 250 bucks are now just a passing memory. A small price to pay for decent fig crops in the future. If all goes well, you can expect to taste some of Spyke's Habitat Fig Preserves at the Jamboree.
3 comments:
Someone sent me this video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K2zqKi39Mo
That will sharpen your skills.
Poor Squirrel... :(
NOT a poor squirrel, I used to think they were cute as well until i moved to a place where I had to deal with them. They are meanruthless critters with cute little faces and fluffy tails. They dont just eat nuts and berries either, they stole eggs from my chicken coop and attacked my chicks, scalping one and even stealing eggs from under my chickens, I lost a whole clutch that were nearly hatched. The squirrels took them away and ate the baby chicks! This is not to mention the destruction on a daily basis to ones hard work trying to grow a garden or fruit trees, just when you start seeing something growing again , they come and mow it right down. and at one dozen a day of stolen eggs and all your hard work in the garden gone, i dont feel sorry for them one bit when i trap them and teach them to swim, or take one out with our rifle.
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