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Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

It finally happened, the 'hole in one' of airgun hunting. Today I look out the shooting window up into the tree. Low and behold, two birds were sitting on a branch right next to each other. It would've been perfect because their bodies were blocked by the branch and only their head and necks were exposed, however, they were up in the tree at a near impossible angle.

Fortunately, my airgun arsenal is deep enough that I have options. So I grabbed the Gamo shadow express shotgun. I loaded it and opened the window, but then I realized that I should put on my shooting glasses since there was a chance I end up shooting the eve on my roof while shooting upwards, and didn't want a richochet in my eye. So I grabbed those and stuck the barrel out the window. I had to just hold it at as steep an angle as I could, and then lean my head down at an awkward angle to try to spot the birds in the scope. Somehow, I was able to do it.

I fired and both birds dropped from the limb. One was a head shot and the other looked like it only took a single bb to its upper chest--a far from lethal hit, but it was enough to kill it. Perhaps the fall killed it too. Both were adolescent birds, but I skinned them anyway. Not much meat, but I bet it will be very tender.

I'm just happy I finally pulled off a one shot/two kills combo. Sweet!

broommaster2000 · Moderator

Aren't you normally suposed to single one animal out? I mean, what if the second bird got hit in the eye or something.

My point is, in how many of these situations can you be sure you get the same effect? 1 out of 10, or maybe 8 out of 10? Is it then still worth trying, even though you got it right the first time?

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

I've tried it a few times now, but with the shot gun you don't single anything out. You just aim in the general area. In this case, both birds were within a 6 inch diameter, which is well within the spray pattern at that range. And eye shots are almost always fatal.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

It lives up to the "close combat" idea, though, right?

I wonder if shortening the barrel would have a positive effect, or maybe some kind of paper wad or something, to sit behind the pellets.

It kind of reminds me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWMENIJfIsM Mr. Green

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

I thought about a short barrel, handgun type version. However, the length of the barrel is what builds up pressure and velocity. It does have a plastic cap behind the load which the air catches and pushes the shot with. I'm pretty sure they made it as powerful as they could given what they had to work with.

The shots are pretty powerful, but the main factor is the spread pattern. It is too large at even close distances. That's why the birds I have shot at under 10 yards have sometimes gotten away unscathed. If the random spray just happens to miss them, you're screwed. In this case, the shots hit true on both targets. But I think that out of the 20 bb load, only 2 hit the birds. One in each. But if their bodies had been exposed, they probably would've taken at least one to two more shots in each.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

So in other words, these kills were more luck then wisdom? Neutral

I wonder if something like a choke would work. Have you ever tried making your own shells? Like paper cartridges or something.

kanyon · Silver Status Member

Hi..I tryed to make shot shells used plastic drinking straws glued a cotton wool bud in one end filled it with 1.5mm ball berrings and glued a bud in the other end but it had NO power and the straw ended up half way down the barrel. wonder if you were to use a wadcutter pellet to push the shot load..could also be the only use for a PBA

Slavia · Moderator

Or maybe those little felt cleaning pellets.

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

Maybe a cleaning pellet, but you'll probably get a lot of deiseling. I wouldn't try much custom shot making unless I really knew what I was doing.