Where's the Bunnies Gone?

Dale · 25th Jun 2008, 10:51

I'm frustrated.

As most of you know, I've recently returned to shooting after a looooong break and I have been granted permission on 3 farms. I was overjoyed to get permission and had 6 bunnies on my first 2 outings, just about a fortnight ago now.

Since then though, it's all dried up a bit, I hardly see any rabbits, I've probably seen maybe 8 in the last 2 weeks. The ones that were in range, I missed as my scope had crept forward and the gun was shooting low without my knowledge. I fixed the scope down properly and a bit closer to my eye as I was reaching to see through the scope. I went to one of the farms yesterday to zero the scope and although it's shooting reasonably accurately, I'm getting some flyers now and again. I was able to put 2 shots through a ten pence piece sized dot at 35 yards yesterday, then the next 3 pellets went wide and high

. I managed to get a slightly bigger than one inch group in the end, with the odd flyer.

I was quite happy with the grouping so I went to another farm and sat for over an hour in the one spot and didn't see a single bunny and I had shot 4 at this spot on my first 2 outings.

Sorry for the winge but surely I haven't shot them all, there are supposed to be hundreds there.

Dale · 25th Jun 2008, 12:20

Just noticed, the 97 is dieseling a bit, I'm getting a puff of blue smoke from the barrel after every shot, not much but maybe enough to cause the flyers.

I'm seriously thinking about a V-Mach kit, what are the thoughts on these please?

**colin F** · 25th Jun 2008, 16:54

i got plenty of bunnies on my shoots

down here in sunny wales especially on the new shoot i picked up a few weeks ago cos its never been shot over

manthing · 25th Jun 2008, 22:53

Hi Dale

in much the same position as you re the long break,

may be a stupid question (neither first or last

), but how manny pellets has the 97 had though it?

I put a tin through mine and still had the odd smoker, another 250 later and all seems well.

famous last words.....

arnt they a nice bit of kit though?

Dale · 26th Jun 2008, 10:40

Thanks guys.

Manthing, yep, I love the 97 and it certainly bowls the rabbits over with a satisfying (for me, not the bunny

) thwock. It's 4 years old but like new as it was hardly used until I got my new shoots and it has had approximately 500 pellets through it, I bought a tin of Eley Wasps when I got the gun new and I have just bought a second tin of wasps. If I was to guesstimate, I'd say it has fired 450 shots. It is dieseling on every shot at the moment though. I'm thinking it's probably the internal lubrication from new burning off but I did wipe the inside of the breech last week with my oil rag as it got wet in the bad weather we've been having.

BILLYBOYP · 27th Jun 2008, 19:47

this is were a lot of shooters make the mistake disturb rabbits
to much in the evening and thy will start to feed early morning
and at 35 yards you should be doing a clover hole that is all shots
touching

Dale · 27th Jun 2008, 20:04

Thanks Billy, I'm not getting clover holes at the moment but I'm sure they will come, I'm hoping that the gun is just going through a settling in period.

I got 2 rabbits this morning. At 4-15am, one of the car alarms went off so I went to investigate, backed up by approx 80kg of Weimaraner and Border Collie

. Nothing was amiss, except the Sat Nav had fallen off the windscreen and was hanging in mid air off the mirror. I got back to bed, couldn't settle after the adrenaline rush, next thing, missus is getting up for work and that was that and by 5-30am, I was on the shoot. I walked straight onto a bunny but spooked it. The rain was lashing down by now, that windy, drizzly stuff that cuts right through your clothes and to your bones. I hid behind the owners horsebox and peared out now and again over the paddock. After about 15 minutes, bingo, 2 bunnies sitting in the corner. I picked on the larger of the two and let off the shot. Thwock and a bunny goes 2 feet in the air, falls to the ground and does the kicking leg thing. The other bunny stood in amazement for a few seconds then hardtailed down its hole. Funny thing is though, by the time I climbed out from under the horsebox and went to retrieve the 'dead' rabbit, I couldn't find it.

I got a call off the onwer this afternoon asking if I had been shooting today as one of his dogs had walked in with a dead bunny.

I got another rabbit about 15 minutes after the first and there was no doubt about this one but after that, i'm afraid the rain got me, so I headed home.

BILLYBOYP · 27th Jun 2008, 20:11

i take it you have tried a good selection of pellets to make sure your barrel likes them

Dale · 27th Jun 2008, 20:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by BILLYBOYP

i take it you have tried a good selection of pellets to make sure your barrel likes them

To be honest no, I've always used Wasps with any Weihrauch I've owned but I do have a tin of Milbro domes that I haven't opened.

I've recently been recommended RWS Superdomes for the 97k but am yet to try them.

**TaffyGun** · 27th Jun 2008, 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dale

To be honest no, I've always used Wasps with any Weihrauch I've owned but I do have a tin of Milbro domes that I haven't opened.

I've recently been recommended RWS Superdomes for the 97k but am yet to try them.

My 97k loved Accupells and not much else