Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[Kev B]

Crackers they are Tom.

[Rod Paradise]

Stood talking to my next door neighbour this morning, he's a very proud gardener & was complaining about the mole that's got into his seedbeds - next thing we see the ground moving in one of them. A quick run inside, a grab of my catapult & a lead ball - and one mole is now passed this mortal coil and the seedbeds are no longer being dug up.

Click to see full-size image.

[Karabiner]

Stood talking to my next door neighbour this morning, he's a very proud gardener & was complaining about the mole that's got into his seedbeds - next thing we see the ground moving in one of them. A quick run inside, a grab of my catapult & a lead ball - and one mole is now passed this mortal coil and the seedbeds are no longer being dug up.

Click to see full-size image.

Dennis The Menace would be proud, tikay possibly not so much...

[Karabiner]

Cracking pics Tom, I didn't realise that mothers still fed their young after they'd fledged.

[RED-DOG]

Stood talking to my next door neighbour this morning, he's a very proud gardener & was complaining about the mole that's got into his seedbeds - next thing we see the ground moving in one of them. A quick run inside, a grab of my catapult & a lead ball - and one mole is now passed this mortal coil and the seedbeds are no longer being dug up.

Click to see full-size image.

Wow! That's some catty Rod, and some fancy shootin by the sound of it.

Did you make it yourself?

Is it ash?

Do you drop your own shot?

Why the flat lastic?

[Rod Paradise]

It's bought - made from laminate wood for strength - guy sells them as Gamekeeper Catapults on ebay - great price for the workmanship.

That's just a google images pic, but it is the one I've got - the flat bands are of a very strong medical elastic (theraband) - a double band like that will generate about 18 foot-pounds of force - the legal limit for a normal air rifle is 12. I don't drop my own shot but a mate gave me a big bag of lead shot, and I've a bag of 9mm steel for target practice. Can't boast about the shooting - sneak close and shoot straight down at the disturbed earth from about a foot away - just looking for power to get the shot to the mole.  I can hit a big metal can pretty regular at about 30yards - so approaching a close up (15 yds or so) hunting accuracy - but making time for practice is what's holding me up.

Laws are a bit strange on catty hunting - it's legal as long as you kill. if you're seen wounding and taking a few shots to finish off the animal (or worse leaving it hurt) then you can be charged. So I'd want to be able to demonstrate a 10 shots out of 10 accuracy at a rabbit's head sized target to say I was hunting ready at any range, if I then have an unfortunate wounding I can demonstrate I was competent at the range.

[RED-DOG]

It's bought - made from laminate wood for strength - guy sells them as Gamekeeper Catapults on ebay - great price for the workmanship.

That's just a google images pic, but it is the one I've got - the flat bands are of a very strong medical elastic (theraband) - a double band like that will generate about 18 foot-pounds of force - the legal limit for a normal air rifle is 12. I don't drop my own shot but a mate gave me a big bag of lead shot, and I've a bag of 9mm steel for target practice. Can't boast about the shooting - sneak close and shoot straight down at the disturbed earth from about a foot away - just looking for power to get the shot to the mole.  I can hit a big metal can pretty regular at about 30yards - so approaching a close up (15 yds or so) hunting accuracy - but making time for practice is what's holding me up.

Laws are a bit strange on catty hunting - it's legal as long as you kill. if you're seen wounding and taking a few shots to finish off the animal (or worse leaving it hurt) then you can be charged. So I'd want to be able to demonstrate a 10 shots out of 10 accuracy at a rabbit's head sized target to say I was hunting ready at any range, if I then have an unfortunate wounding I can demonstrate I was competent at the range.

I used to drop my own shot but I found it to be a bit heavy rod. That much inertia takes a lot to overcome.

I moved on to shop-bought glass marbles. Totally spherical, always the same size & weight, cheap as chips and more eco-friendly than lead.

A spoonful of peppercorn sized lead shot is useful for flying birds, but you have to use an oversized tongue or pouch.

[Rod Paradise]

It's bought - made from laminate wood for strength - guy sells them as Gamekeeper Catapults on ebay - great price for the workmanship.

That's just a google images pic, but it is the one I've got - the flat bands are of a very strong medical elastic (theraband) - a double band like that will generate about 18 foot-pounds of force - the legal limit for a normal air rifle is 12. I don't drop my own shot but a mate gave me a big bag of lead shot, and I've a bag of 9mm steel for target practice. Can't boast about the shooting - sneak close and shoot straight down at the disturbed earth from about a foot away - just looking for power to get the shot to the mole.  I can hit a big metal can pretty regular at about 30yards - so approaching a close up (15 yds or so) hunting accuracy - but making time for practice is what's holding me up.

Laws are a bit strange on catty hunting - it's legal as long as you kill. if you're seen wounding and taking a few shots to finish off the animal (or worse leaving it hurt) then you can be charged. So I'd want to be able to demonstrate a 10 shots out of 10 accuracy at a rabbit's head sized target to say I was hunting ready at any range, if I then have an unfortunate wounding I can demonstrate I was competent at the range.

I used to drop my own shot but I found it to be a bit heavy rod. That much inertia takes a lot to overcome.

I moved on to shop-bought glass marbles. Totally spherical, always the same size & weight, cheap as chips and more eco-friendly than lead.

A spoonful of peppercorn sized lead shot is useful for flying birds, but you have to use an oversized tongue or pouch.

These bands'll shift a 10mm lead shot no bother, bugger of a catty to draw though. Looked at using marbles, but the steel works quite well for mucking about & the lead has a good killing blow when I get to the hunting stage.

Been looking at making a 'shotgun' type pouch for the spoonful of shot idea, lots of wood pigeons about here. Think that the 'killing accuracy' argument with the police might not stack up - but if I get off the beaten track.... Got a fair bit of the elastic to make additional ones - another half-thought through project though. Let me know if you want some bands though Red - I've enough to make about 5 pairs.

[Rod Paradise]

A couple of facebook pics from today, first an almost tornado (didn't reach the ground) across the valley from me, a neighbour took it at lunchtime there:

Click to see full-size image.

And a suggestion for the toilets in DTD?

Click to see full-size image.

See if that works

[RED-DOG]

I can't see the first pic Rod. (Can anyone else?

I'm fine for lastic thanks. I mostly use these.

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/catapults-and-ammo/spare-barnett-catapult-elastic-258737.html.


I don't like a heavy pull, it affects my accuracy too much. That said, my dad's uncle Billy used to use two 3/8" elastics on each side of his catapult.

One night he was walking along a hedgerow, shooting roosting pheasants as they silhouetted against the moon. A typically curious cow doggedly followed him around, despite being shooed away several times. In a fit of pique born of frustration, he fired a lump of lead shot into the darkness in the general direction of the cow, there was a dull thud, followed quickly by another, and he was followed no more.

The next day he was horrified to see the farmer drive past with the cow lying tits up on the back of his trailer, stiff as a plank.

I wouldn't worry too much about the old Bill. it's unlikely that they would actually prosecute you in the very unlikely event that they did catch you shooting something with a catapult.

[Rod Paradise]

I can't see the first pic Rod. (Can anyone else?

I'm fine for lastic thanks. I mostly use these.

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/catapults-and-ammo/spare-barnett-catapult-elastic-258737.html.


I don't like a heavy pull, it affects my accuracy too much. That said, my dad's uncle Billy used to use two 3/8" elastics on each side of his catapult.

One night he was walking along a hedgerow, shooting roosting pheasants as they silhouetted against the moon. A typically curious cow doggedly followed him around, despite being shooed away several times. In a fit of pique born of frustration, he fired a lump of lead shot into the darkness in the general direction of the cow, there was a dull thud, followed quickly by another, and he was followed no more.

The next day he was horrified to see the farmer drive past with the cow lying tits up on the back of his trailer, stiff as a plank.

I wouldn't worry too much about the old Bill. it's unlikely that they would actually prosecute you in the very unlikely event that they did catch you shooting something with a catapult.

It's more the busybodies - there's people nearby who've reported local kids for hunting rabbits, with airguns or ferreting. They apparently gave the police a lot of hassle and threatened to go to the press - in the end a boy lost his gun over it. The same idiots complain when their garden plants get eaten.....

[Laxie]

Hunting, blah, blah, blah, rabbits, blah, blah, blah.  Nvm all that, where the heck were you this week-end Mr. Tom?!

[RED-DOG]

On the roof.

[kinboshi]

On the roof.

Don't do it.

[RED-DOG]

Goodbye, cruel leak.