Returning to air gunning after 35 years !

[hamfist]

Greetings everybody. Since spending a lot of my youth generally playing around with air rifles and a lot of shooting on my friend's farm, I have had no contact with air gunning or shooting of any sort for 35 years. I can't remember my very first air weapons but most of my serious shooting was done with an HW 35 .22 in the late 70's/early 80's. Many a rabbit and pigeon on and around the farm fell for its charms ! All were eaten.
I also held a FAC, and shot target .22 rimfire and 7.62mm centrefire too. Oh, I also had an old .410 double barrelled shotgun I inherited from my poacher grandfather, which used to see some action on the farm. I must admit that favourite hunting was always rabbits with an air rifle, due to the stalking skill required to get close enough. So plenty of gun stuff in my younger days. I seem to remember that I considered myself pretty competent and could hold my own in competition back in the day.
Fast forward to me, 35 years later, in my late 50's, with a dodgy back and recently retired due to it, I simply fancied a go at it again. I can muster a safe 10m range in my garden so a bit of research was done and a brand new Remington Express .22 was been purchased. A 4x32 scope was bundled with it but I quickly discovered that it was of little use. the optics were awful and the the aim seemed to almost change between every shot.
I need a scope as my eyesight it not up to using open sights, so a Hawke Vantage 4 x 32 AO was bought, with a cheap one-piece mount from Amazon. Mounted with blue loctite on all threads it has been a great reliable addition. The optics are seriously so much better than the cheapy too.
I've been impressed by the Remington so far. Its accurate, and (from memory) the shot cycle and recoil is very refined and not twangy in the slightest. I do intend to get inside the thing and at the very least, clean and polish it and relube with some Bumslide I have purchased. Maybe a WW kit will go in, we'll see. Its easily capable of putting a 5 shot group though one large hole and easily as accurate as I am.
I do enjoy the technical side of things too, and consider myself reasonably handy, so I'll be interested in getting the best out of this thing. Oddly I have zero interest in pcps. A self -contained springer that carries around its own power source indefinitely is where its at for me. Probably a bit of nostalgia in there for them too, taking me back to my youth.
I'd also quite fancy a Beeman P17 .177 pistol, which seems a total bargain, and something new to play with. maybe after Xmas !

Anyway, just introducing myself. You'll see me around.
cheers, Alan

[rapidresponse1]

nice intro alan welcome back to the sport enjoy the forum mate