Airgun Hunter: Precision Stalker

My name is Andy Watkins. I’ve been shooting and air rifle hunting for the past 8 years. Like many, my first rifle was an old Mark II BSA Meteor. I just loved spending hours sitting in the garden shooting at paper targets. I saved every penny I could from my pocket money and paper round to buy my Air Arms TX200HC.

I developed a real interest in shooting and it really kicked off for me when I started my YouTube channel, ‘Andy’s Range’. I had been inspired by meeting Ted from YouTube’s, ‘Ted’s Holdover’ and also, ‘Vermin Hunters TV’ at the Midland Game Fair 2012. Since then, the channel has grown in popularity and I have been given opportunities to hunt on some superb ground with some great people.

The gold standard

On a recent hunt, I reviewed the BSA Gold Star for my local gun shop ‘Jayne’s Fishing Tackle and Gun Shop’ and posted the video on my YouTube channel. This is primarily a target rifle, with its loud stock and even louder muzzle crack; despite this, I took it down to the field to put it through its paces vermin shooting.

On this particular permission, there is a very good vantage point at the main entrance. As I drove though the gate, I immediately spotted a wood pigeon in a willow tree. The leaves had started to fall, so I was able to spot the birds easily, at a distance. Having shot this ground before, I knew it would be better to drive closer, rather than to stalk traditionally on foot. The birds tend to be spooked a little less this way, as they are used to seeing vehicles coming and going across the land.

As I edged closer, I could see the pigeon was still sat there and appeared very relaxed. I drove to within about 50 yards and double checked it with the Hawke laser range-finder to be sure, only to find I was 45 yards away (the maximum range for Hunter Field Target). Due to shooting this rifle in a competition the previous day, this meant I knew the exact aim point the BSA scope needed. I quietly opened the car door and stood up to use the roof as a rest as I felt a little unsteady and didn’t want to risk pulling the shot. I grabbed my beanbag seat as a comfy cushion between the rifle and car roof. That was much better!

Clean shot

A Mil-Dot and a half was needed on x9 magnification, there was very little breeze, so no wind was given and I was ready to take the shot. I squeezed the match grade BSA trigger and the un-silenced shot echoed throughout the small-holding, followed by the familiar ‘thwack’ of the pellet striking the pigeon’s breast. It dropped with little fuss into the undergrowth 20 feet below. Generally speaking, I don’t usually opt for chest shots on Wood Pigeons because the meat is very dense and I rarely find it a clean or instant kill. However, this one was a young woody, so the pellet had far less meat to travel through, making a clean shot a much better bet!

I left my shooting position and made my way over to retrieve the fallen bird. As I moved closer, I remembered similar shots I had made in the past from the same location and I knew the retrieve might not be easy. There was a lot of undergrowth, such as nettles and brambles, and I was concerned that the bird might have fallen into the brush as with previous occasions. Thankfully, this time, the young woody was lying on top of the tangle of greenery and was both easy to see and reach.

Long stalking

I decided to walk further down the 3-acre field to a spot that’s often popular with rabbits. To get there I had to stalk along a bank of various different large trees and bushes. I noticed the Hawthorn berries were out and remembered seeing Pigeons there the previous year. On this occasion there was nothing to be seen, but considered it worth coming back with a decoy or two. I put the thought in my back pocket for another day and moved on.

My best bet was still over the brow of the hill along a hedge row on my left and kept my profile as low as possible. I wasn’t wearing camouflage on this hunt, as I was in a rush after work and wanted to get out while there was still some light. I put up my hood to keep the light from my face and proceeded to hug the hedge line. Slowly, I peeked over the top of the hill, had a quick scan and to my surprise, nothing! The field was bare, or so it seemed. The grass had grown up since my last visit because the livestock had been moved to the adjacent field. I knew this meant more hiding places for the coneys, so I turned the magnification down to x3 for a wider field of view and made the rifle safe.

Making do!

Binoculars are preferable in these situations, as they are lighter, safer than waving the rifle around, also a wider field of view and are just generally built for this sort of work. With no binos, I made do with the scope. As I scanned, a pair of ears took my attention and there was a rabbit sat out in the field behind a tuft of grass at approximately 100 yards and well out of range for my sub-12 ft/ lb Gold Star. I thought about stalking in and my best approach.

There weren’t any ideal cover points to allow me to stalk and I could see a long crawl coming. I scanned once more and saw another rabbit hopping out of the hedge row at an estimated 50 yards. I could have taken the shot there and then but the rabbit had Myxomatosis (mixy), a terrible disease that plagues them and spreads from warren to warren. The effects are not pleasant for the rabbits, their eyes quickly become enflamed and scabby until the rabbit can no longer see, they suffer a long and painful death, which is not a nice way for any animal to die!

Make it count

With this in mind, I knew I had to make my shot count for the rabbit’s sake. I adopted a low crawl and although the rabbit could not see me, it would still be able to hear and smell me, so I had to be careful. Within a few minutes I was within 40 yards and took out my Hawke laser once again and found the rabbit to be 35 yards; well within range!

My calibration chart told me I would need to give ½ - Mil holdover, to allow for the pellet drop, which is very easy to see using the AMX reticule. I slowly rose to a kneeling position where I felt stable enough for a shot. The palm shelf, or ‘hamster’ as it’s more commonly known, was a great help and made the shot so much more comfortable. I placed the aiming mark on the side of the rabbit’s head and it rolled over with barely a twitch; job done!

I reloaded the BSA in case a second shot was needed or another opportunity arose but in the end that was not needed. I walked over to the dead rabbit and I could see it had been suffering from the latter stages of mixy’. It was a good animal to take. Blood had pooled in the ear and the shot was placed just behind the eye, which is perfect placement.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take this one home for the pot, although I do love slow cooked rabbit, I don’t really fancy one with mixy’, even though it probably wouldn’t hurt. It still didn’t go to waste, as the birds of prey at the local centre won’t be as fussy as me, I’m sure.

Cocked and ready

I kept the rifle cocked on the walk back to the car, in case of another opportunity in the fading light. The only animal to be seen was a pigeon that I soon scared out of its roosting spot with my thoughtless, heavy-footed stroll. Maybe if I were just a little more aware I would have had another bird in the bag. He’ll be back though!

On reflection, the BSA Gold Star gave a very good account of itself. The adjustability of the stock really leant itself well to stalking the hedgerows and made shooting from any position that much more stable and comfortable. If I were to take this rifle into the fields again I would soon drop the air stripper and instead, fit a short silencer. This would still keep the overall length short but offer a much quieter shot and hopefully a larger bag at the end of the day. All-in-all it was a very enjoyable evening out. The BSA Gold Star is often thought of as a targetspecific rifle but performed as well as any other hunting rifle I have ever used.
Safe Hunting.