Today was my second session working with this rifle. Right now I have it paired with an Athlon Helos Gen2 2-12x42mm FFP IR scope. Within 50 yards this scope seems to be ok for me. As much as many of you all like it, I'm still trying to like it. Anyhow, my first time out I mounted this scope on my Rattler with the turret settings from when I removed it from my Benjamin Bulldog M357 with a 50 yard zero. When I shot the Rattler using this scope it was pretty close to dead on without touching a thing. I initial shot it from the Caldwell Turret Rest seen below.
Here's my first target. The first two shots are touching the edge of the bullseye and touching each other.
Then removed it from the mount and affixed an Accutac bipod (that was pretty comfortable to shoot with without a rear rest). I felt pretty good abut my fisrt time shooting from 50 yards.
This was target started put great with the 1st two shots hitting the bullseye, but my chronogragh was not reading the shots. As a result I set the gun down, fiddled with the chrony, and resituatyed myself the 3 shots above the bullseye were the next three shots. I was shooting 140 grain slugs that I made.
After a good first outing where I could compile chronogragh data and try to get a feel for the gun I was very optimistic about the rifle. Later in the week I had some time to go check on some properties. I'm speaking to a property owner about what I see as I drive around on their property. After taking a headcount of cattle, I swing around and see a couple of animals in some knee high grass. At first I though they might be donkeys ad they swished their long tails back and forth. I slowed down and looked closer when I realized these were too short to be donkeys. They're hogs!! They weren’t that sharp as I drove up on them while talking to the property owner on the phone. Once I realized what they were I took a photo and backed up my truck to head home and grab a gun.
The first thing I grabbed was my Rattler .357 since I'd just used it the other day. I also grabbed some slugs , snake boots, a SCBA tank, and hit the door. Why did I grabbed a SCBA tank? I do not know. It makes little sense to think that I'd be doing that much shooting. When I returned to the property it took me about a half hour, but I tracked the hogs down crossing a road in the woods on an adjacent property. I walked to the edge of the road, on knelt down, and when I saw one coming out of the brush I aimed for the the head/neck area and let a shot rip. It was loud and I had hogs on both sides of my scrambling. I never found any blood and the hog that I shot at didn’t squeal long or loudly. I did not hear a loud slug smack, nor did I hear the hog crash, although I heard them running into and through thickets violently. Another group doubled back looping behind me through the woods, winded me, and bolted back across the road at my six. I counted 5 hogs through my scope. I’m just not used to hunting with semis so I have to practice double taps and such. It doesn’t come natural with airguns to keep shooting at an animal. I'm used to trying to shoot once maybe twice and hitting with the first or second shot. After they seemed to stop running and stirring in the brush, I went to investigate the area I thought the hog was in when I took my shot. I didn’t see an indication of a hit. There wasn't a drop of blood that I found. My biggest mistake was not ranging the animal. I actually had a rangefinder on me, but I'm not used to using them in the field so it wasn't a natural thought. There was a lot of action and it happened relatively fast. My heart was pounding and my adrenaline was up because it seemed as if I just kept seeing pigs and hogs coming in. I can say this, this set up (gun, scope, bipod) was heavy. I don't know if it was because of the bipod or if the rifle is just that heavy in general. I can say this, if you intend to spot and stalk hunt - GET A SLING. After walking through the woods with this rifle my arms were fatigued.
Today I was able to get out and shoot from 25 and 35 yards and there's a noticeable difference in holdunders. I'll post photos of today's targets in a bit.
My makeshift big-bore backstop and target for the day.
I decided to start at 25 yards. These were 140 grain slugs. 14 shots were taken while seated an resting the fore end of the reservoir on the yoke of a Primos Trigger Stick bipod.
Then 120 grain slugs. 15 shots.
Second target at 25 yards, 120 grains slugs, 15 shots.
Now I moved out to 35 yards with the 120 grain slugs. 11 shots, I turned up the power wheel so the Rattler was using more air and I didn't want to fall below the regulator set pressure. The hold also changed. I'll know more when I shoot from a few more distances.
I did shoot below the regulator set pressure a couple of shot strings. I don't advise doing so. I think it shot down to around 115 bar without my knowledge until after the fact. What I noticed was that the magazine release arm was slightly up and had very little tension when I pushed it back down. Then I raised it up again and rotated the magazine. The magazine felt as if it was halfway between two chambers. Thankfully all 15 were empty or it probably would've jammed and dumped air. I've realized that the more you turn the power wheel, the more air the rifle will use. It can get to a point where the increased air use does not translate to increased velocity.
Here's my first target. The first two shots are touching the edge of the bullseye and touching each other.
Then removed it from the mount and affixed an Accutac bipod (that was pretty comfortable to shoot with without a rear rest). I felt pretty good abut my fisrt time shooting from 50 yards.
This was target started put great with the 1st two shots hitting the bullseye, but my chronogragh was not reading the shots. As a result I set the gun down, fiddled with the chrony, and resituatyed myself the 3 shots above the bullseye were the next three shots. I was shooting 140 grain slugs that I made.
After a good first outing where I could compile chronogragh data and try to get a feel for the gun I was very optimistic about the rifle. Later in the week I had some time to go check on some properties. I'm speaking to a property owner about what I see as I drive around on their property. After taking a headcount of cattle, I swing around and see a couple of animals in some knee high grass. At first I though they might be donkeys ad they swished their long tails back and forth. I slowed down and looked closer when I realized these were too short to be donkeys. They're hogs!! They weren’t that sharp as I drove up on them while talking to the property owner on the phone. Once I realized what they were I took a photo and backed up my truck to head home and grab a gun.
The first thing I grabbed was my Rattler .357 since I'd just used it the other day. I also grabbed some slugs , snake boots, a SCBA tank, and hit the door. Why did I grabbed a SCBA tank? I do not know. It makes little sense to think that I'd be doing that much shooting. When I returned to the property it took me about a half hour, but I tracked the hogs down crossing a road in the woods on an adjacent property. I walked to the edge of the road, on knelt down, and when I saw one coming out of the brush I aimed for the the head/neck area and let a shot rip. It was loud and I had hogs on both sides of my scrambling. I never found any blood and the hog that I shot at didn’t squeal long or loudly. I did not hear a loud slug smack, nor did I hear the hog crash, although I heard them running into and through thickets violently. Another group doubled back looping behind me through the woods, winded me, and bolted back across the road at my six. I counted 5 hogs through my scope. I’m just not used to hunting with semis so I have to practice double taps and such. It doesn’t come natural with airguns to keep shooting at an animal. I'm used to trying to shoot once maybe twice and hitting with the first or second shot. After they seemed to stop running and stirring in the brush, I went to investigate the area I thought the hog was in when I took my shot. I didn’t see an indication of a hit. There wasn't a drop of blood that I found. My biggest mistake was not ranging the animal. I actually had a rangefinder on me, but I'm not used to using them in the field so it wasn't a natural thought. There was a lot of action and it happened relatively fast. My heart was pounding and my adrenaline was up because it seemed as if I just kept seeing pigs and hogs coming in. I can say this, this set up (gun, scope, bipod) was heavy. I don't know if it was because of the bipod or if the rifle is just that heavy in general. I can say this, if you intend to spot and stalk hunt - GET A SLING. After walking through the woods with this rifle my arms were fatigued.
Today I was able to get out and shoot from 25 and 35 yards and there's a noticeable difference in holdunders. I'll post photos of today's targets in a bit.
My makeshift big-bore backstop and target for the day.
I decided to start at 25 yards. These were 140 grain slugs. 14 shots were taken while seated an resting the fore end of the reservoir on the yoke of a Primos Trigger Stick bipod.
Then 120 grain slugs. 15 shots.
Second target at 25 yards, 120 grains slugs, 15 shots.
Now I moved out to 35 yards with the 120 grain slugs. 11 shots, I turned up the power wheel so the Rattler was using more air and I didn't want to fall below the regulator set pressure. The hold also changed. I'll know more when I shoot from a few more distances.
I did shoot below the regulator set pressure a couple of shot strings. I don't advise doing so. I think it shot down to around 115 bar without my knowledge until after the fact. What I noticed was that the magazine release arm was slightly up and had very little tension when I pushed it back down. Then I raised it up again and rotated the magazine. The magazine felt as if it was halfway between two chambers. Thankfully all 15 were empty or it probably would've jammed and dumped air. I've realized that the more you turn the power wheel, the more air the rifle will use. It can get to a point where the increased air use does not translate to increased velocity.
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