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Small varmint kills (the bastards!)
- Thread starter carbonbased
- Start date
“Killed” some steel pdogs a couple weekends ago. Went out again this last weekend and will go out next too as Aug 1 is the pdog trip.
Truing up Strelok with some real-world dope from 200-500yds.
Kinda pushed shooting right into darkness. Bigger splashes are 204 or multiple hits in the same spot.
First time ever systematically proving my dope vs. just printing out Strelok. Bought an Garmin earlier this year. Eye-opening. Hornady 204 factory 40gr ammo fps spread is 200+!
No wonder I’m missing!
Well, one of the reasons lol
Not wanting to be too critical but why in the world would you not true data on a paper target with a precise aiming point and enough area to catch the errant shot?View attachment 8464424
“Killed” some steel pdogs a couple weekends ago. Went out again this last weekend and will go out next too as Aug 1 is the pdog trip.
Truing up Strelok with some real-world dope from 200-500yds.
Kinda pushed shooting right into darkness. Bigger splashes are 204 or multiple hits in the same spot.
First time ever systematically proving my dope vs. just printing out Strelok. Bought an Garmin earlier this year. Eye-opening. Hornady 204 factory 40gr ammo fps spread is 200+!
No wonder I’m missing!
You can learn more on paper in a few minutes than you can “banging steel” in an afternoon.
I’m sure you’re right. I’m new at this.
But here’s a question. At 300, 400, and 500 yds at 27x, it doesn’t appear I could see much of a precise aiming point on paper. It would have to be near the size of the orange spray painted circle on the big gong.
With the round steel targets it’s easy enough to center the reticle up on the big gong. Plus, the sound and movement when hit makes it obvious when I’m on. Makes the process efficient as I cannot see 204 bullet holes at 300/400/500 yds.
Then I shoot the smaller gong, which is 4” @ 400yds. If I hit that, I can hit a pdog. I have a 2” gong…I should buy a 3” one too.
But I’m all ears. Always trying to learn.
Up way too frickin’ late making this damn gif from screenshots of a kill during my pdog shoot going on right now. 17 Hornet, ~200yds.
Added a little Grand Theft Auto action heh heh
The bullet trace is neat.
Now I gotta get up way too soon in order to shoot some more!
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Let me be clear. That gif isn’t from the internet. It’s a pdog I shot yesterday.
Here’s one from today.
196yds 204 40gr Hornady superperformance.
196yds 204 40gr Hornady superperformance.
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I played the theme from rocky in the background. Well done Sir.
My Razor 27-60 spotter with an Ollin phone adapter. It works way better than my previous Scope Cam because it attaches to the eyepiece in a second vs much longer.
AND it’s instantly level vs endless futzing with the Scope Cam each time.
Here’s my huge overview of scope cam phone adapters.
The Big Digiscope / Phone / Scope Cam Overview
So a lack of reviews about digiscoping with a phone and spotter (or binos) that uses both a critical eye AND are thorough led me to collect, organize, and write up this info. I have no biz or personal relationship with any of these fine upstanding manufacturers. I have hands-on experience with...
www.snipershide.com
The spotter/phone and LRF bino are attached to a long Arca bar, which in turn is mounted to a video-type pan/tilt head (not a ballhead). The spotter is rotated 45° so after the spotter-guy finds a pdog and ranges it, he can simply look right to verify focus and framing.
Red outlines denote where my phone attaches in landscape orientation…this is from a prev year so no Ollin is attached to the eyepiece
The Leica 15x LRF bino is co-witnessed to the spotter. The bino uses two spacers and a ballhead. Here is a pic from this trip
Updates this year also include the Bino Bandit shade for the binos (awesome for blocking sun glare) and the time-saving RRS leveling head. I use Cinefoil black tinfoil and gaffer tape for a makeshift shade for the phone, which is in there (look for reflection with diagonal lines, far right edge). Sorry bad pic. Way easier to see the phone in full sunlight with a shade.
What you see in my animated gifs is quite zoomed in from the full frame of the video. That’s why it’s not super sharp. Often the spotter is zoomed to 50-60x but the pdog is still small in the frame.
The 15-25mph wind can make even my pretty heavy and quite good quality setup shake a little. Best I can do.
It’s really more about reliving the moment, you know?
Using my phone is better for my purposes as the files are of reasonable size, easily shared, and easily organized. I considered a separate fancy video camera but then I’d have to deal with (and learn) how to manage huge files that probably don’t play well with my Macs/iPhones.
To share animated gifs on this forum (can’t upload mp4 here), I dup the file on my phone, tightly crop and shorten it, then upload it to https://ezgif.com/. There I can slow it down, optimize it, add text, etc. Still learning that tool.
I might set up a very low-fi YT channel just for me and friends/family.
Next trip I’d like to maybe get a high quality spotter, a Kowa probably. Just using it for video so don’t think a Swaro would be any better. Hell, Kowas seem to get as good as reviews as Swaros from birders anyhow.
Also those Vectronix 17x LRF binos look interesting…
It’s kinda a bit of work but worth it!
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You might wonder why the LRF binos are co-witnessed to the spotter.
This is to save time. Those little buggers can move around a lot and suck into their holes at inopportune times.
Instead of the spotter guy finding the pdog in the binos and ranging, then re-finding the pdog again with the spotter, we’ve got just one step instead of two.
BTW 15x (or greater) binos are infinitely > spotter for glassing for pdogs all the live-long day lol.
This is to save time. Those little buggers can move around a lot and suck into their holes at inopportune times.
Instead of the spotter guy finding the pdog in the binos and ranging, then re-finding the pdog again with the spotter, we’ve got just one step instead of two.
BTW 15x (or greater) binos are infinitely > spotter for glassing for pdogs all the live-long day lol.
I hunt the tick carrying bastards with a Barra 1000x .177 topped with my backup Rix L3 thermal.
I was trying to get this little one for awhile, but my work schedule wouldn't allow me to stay up late enough to pop it.
SJC
I was trying to get this little one for awhile, but my work schedule wouldn't allow me to stay up late enough to pop it.
SJC
My view up higher
Headshot! (not at this location)
Another view of my perch. That’s me.
I was about half-way up that butte.
Cool! Set the scene up on those. I’ve never killed a snake. Don’t want to run across a rattler out pdogging.
Well, we recently moved from Colorado to Texas so now I don’t have access to p dogs other than a few trips a year.
Wife’s family has a ranch I have been clearing roads and brush hogging with the tractor. Seen a bunch of snakes but these 2 are the only ones I have been able to catch. And by catch I mean run over with the tractor tire to pin it down and then beat it with a stick. I ran over 1 more but went too far and it was able to quickly slither into the brush and I sure as heck wasn’t going to chase after it!!!!
Wife’s family has a ranch I have been clearing roads and brush hogging with the tractor. Seen a bunch of snakes but these 2 are the only ones I have been able to catch. And by catch I mean run over with the tractor tire to pin it down and then beat it with a stick. I ran over 1 more but went too far and it was able to quickly slither into the brush and I sure as heck wasn’t going to chase after it!!!!
Here’s three from today at the farm. Some head/neck shots. 35-60 yds, CCI segmented subsonic 22LR @1050fps. Middle guy had multiple hits (edit: so did the top guy).
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You know, I should explain the “multiple hits” thing.
I’m not just sadistically blasting a dead carcass. Sometimes I hit one and since the grass can be high, I’m not sure if the wiggling grass indicates death vibes or if I mortally wounded him. So I shoot into the grass to make sure he’s dead.
Don’t want anyone to think I’m like a cat playing with his prey lol. Man, I like cats, but they can be cold.
