Springer shooting at 70 yards

[Davey K]

A bit of calm weather and a few hours to spare today so I though I’d have a crack at this long shooting lark. I’ve had a few goes before, but as I live right near the sea, calm weather isn’t often available. My efforts in the breeze have convinced me that long range shooting and strong wind do not mix.

I measured out 70 yards with my surveyor’s tape and got my ‘bench rest’ set up. It comprised two bags of B+Q lawn treatment (one on top of the other) and a gardener’s kneeling cushion on top of that. I got down prone behind my stack and eyed things up.

70 yards is a long way, but the image was nice and clear through the scope and it seemed quite do-able. Here I have to declare my belief, that to have any legitimacy, long range shooting must be (providing the weather conditions are suitable) consistent, accurate and repeatable. I’m not knocking anyone who uses the following method, but for me, aiming at a cross or dot and then landing the pellets a couple of feet away from what you are aiming at is of limited value. If you can’t predict where the pellets will land, you can’t hit a target and target shooting is about hitting a target! Also, shooting 20 or 30 pellets and then picking the 3 or 5 that group together nicely seems also to be a flawed technique as too much luck could effect such a small number of shots.

So my method was as follows, shoot 50 consecutive shots at 45mm circles (with 30mm black bulls) in five groups of 10 shots. I was trying to hit the target as many times as possible but not necessarily to group the shots. I had a wind flag, so when it moved I would make small adjustments to my point of aim with the intention of counteracting the wind and hitting the target.

The first group of 10 all went into the target (just!) with one shot wide to the left but just cutting the line to still score. The second group started really badly with a wild flyer almost off the page to the right but the nine shots that followed were all beauties, this would have been the best group of the day but for the flyer. The third ten all landed nicely enough but one went a bit on the high side but luckily it was still safely in, this turned out to be the best grouping of the day. As I stared shooting group four, the breeze picked up. It pushed the first two shots wide to the right and produced my second miss. I made an aiming adjustment and landed the rest of the shots safely in the target but somewhat scattered around. The final ten were up against an unpredictable and shifting breeze. I shot the first three with the same windage adjustment as the last target and saw them group tightly in a string low and left. I adjusted and landed the next two in the bull. The wind then freshened a bit and pushed the next five shots left. Three landed in a nice string inside the target but two missed wide and right. Very annoying!

By now I was knackered, I couldn’t believe the concentration that was required for this sort of shooting. My neck was sore and my eyes were watering from staring hard at the targets. But I was very pleased, out of the 50 shots, 46 had hit the targets they had been aimed at, with 30 of the 50 hitting the 30mm black bull’s-eye. As a percentage I had achieved a 92% hit rate against a 45mm target at 70 yards. If anyone had offered me that before I’d started shooting, I’d have had their hand off!

My cap is off to the guys who are getting results at 100 yards because 70 yards seemed a very long way to me. As I’ve said, I wasn’t really looking for groupings but even my best one (from target three) was around 35mm, so over the magic inch even at my reduced range. Judged on those criteria, my attempt was a failure and a failure 30 yards short of the mark! But I don’t look at it that way, and I’m still well pleased to be able to shoot a spring gun at this range and still have a high level of accuracy. BUT it’s all down to that wind, the barest whisper today was the difference between hitting and missing and even ‘perfect’ weather holds surprises that are guaranteed to have the long range shooter tearing his hair out!

I’ve included 2 pictures, one just photographed normally and one back lit so the holes are more visible. I’ll get a couple more pics put up tomorrow of my range and the set-up I was shooting from. My equipment was a v-glided hw97k in .177 flavour and running at 11.3 ft lbs, trigger was a v-mach semi-match unit with a flat polished blade and it all sat in a GINB l/h thumbhole stock. Scope was the MTC Viper 10X44, pellets were JSB 4.51 washed and lubed but not weighed and sorted, that’s probably why I got the flyer!

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...rs/70yards.jpg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/70yards2.jpg

[harrisP]

Thats good shooting with a springer.
I've included a picture of my springer shooting at 70yards, It was with a tx200 which was as smooth as a lubed up smooth thing and not to shabby in the accuracy stake.
Shame I sold it and also a shame I couldn't use it to its full potential.
The shots were taken resting off a fence post.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...p/DSC00534.jpg


Since when have images shown up like that?

[Jim McArthur]

Very good shooting all around! I love to see demos of how very accurate an air gun can be at long ranges.

Jim

[Cooperman]

nice going mate!

[Davey K]

Thanks for your comments all

I really enjoyed shooting the groups and it's good to put up a bit of info that might help anyone else looking for long range accuracy. Wind is the real killer and flat days are hard to come by once you get off the mainland UK and into the water!! The other hard bit when doing this with springers is re-setting after each shot. You've got to move position beacuse you've got to reload and not many folk can do that lying down - as a result you never get back into quite the same position as you had before and this makes consistency even harder.

As promised a couple of range pics to finish the story off

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...ners/range.jpg

this is from just in front of where I was shooting from, my 'peg' for hft practice can be seen just in front. The range flag is on the right and the 70 yard target is the tall board at approximately 12.00. This zoomed shot shows more detail

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...ers/range1.jpg

the white square on the tree trunk at the back is my next challenge, this is the 90yards mark and seems miles away when you're shooting into woodland like that because of the stange ways the light filters through the trees. I think I'm going to need to strap on my bushnell banner 6-24 for this one though..

Report here if I manage it!

Cheers all

Oh and the gun that I shot is

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...ners/hw97k.jpg

[Woodie]

good shooting there Dave, well done.

[flukeyluke]

Thats great shooting with a springer,its better than i could do with me pcp lol

[Herx77]

Nice one Davey,now why didn't you shoot like that when we went round?
HERX77

[Davey K]

Hi Mike! If I'd had my two bags of weedkiller to rest on at Popham, I'm sure I would have got a few more

Are you going to be trying out this long range lark? I'll bet you and your 77 could get some pretty impressive results

[Herx77]

Davey,
Have had some interesting 25mmish groups at 55yds lately,but gun doing my head in at comps.The Redfearns/Emley shoot was crap for me but the gun was doing nice tight groups at 45 and 55 yds;even spent some time with Tony Belas and the new Daystate on the Emley zero range.Both knocking the bird down at 55yds and resetting it,not bad for a HW77 against a pcp,but you have to work harder.
Coming over for the 'Gathering'.
HERX77 .

[remorem2jh@supanet.com]

I had another go with the Longbow today at shooting over 68yds distance last time i used a pellet tin as a target and hit it 4 out of 8 with crossman VP's (walking to and from to stick up the tin)

This time i used plasterboard as a target and Webley Mosquito Express pellets shooting on 4x mag and aiming 4 dots high.

That group went 41mm ctc across .

I shot a second group and they were not as nice but still only 44mm ctc.
I cant belive how accurate this gun is for a springer.

Shots taken from the front seat of my van , gun rested in my palm with forearm against my leg (propped up on dash)

[Davey K]

Very nice springer shooting mate Gets quite addictive when you can see some good results

[Davey K]

Davey,
Have had some interesting 25mmish groups at 55yds lately,but gun doing my head in at comps.The Redfearns/Emley shoot was crap for me but the gun was doing nice tight groups at 45 and 55 yds;even spent some time with Tony Belas and the new Daystate on the Emley zero range.Both knocking the bird down at 55yds and resetting it,not bad for a HW77 against a pcp,but you have to work harder.
Coming over for the 'Gathering'.
HERX77 .

Springers eh! Just like mysterious and beautiful spanish women (the nice ones not the ones with beards), the moment you think you've got em worked out they bite you on the ass! It's why we love it! Good to hear you're still fighting the good fight Mike, Southern Hunters will be the next trip out for me, not sure what rounds yet but I'll hope to see you soon at one of those. All the best!

[remorem2jh@supanet.com]

Its a pity there is not a club for this discipline of shooting OR maybe a blog hmm i just started a blog , Good to see some other results.Well done lads keep it up.
OH BTW i cant hit s**t with the lightning.

[Shed tuner]

OH BTW i cant hit s**t with the lightning.

Had to get rid of mine, no pellets struck in the same place twice...