The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

I planted a grape vine over a big pile of (mainly) chicken and bacon
hock bones, and despite their being a couple of feet down, the local
rats started a bone mine.

Are you sure that they were after the bones? I have had rats in
my heap from next door's rubbish tip, and they completely ignored
such things in favour of the worms. However, the two are correlated,
as buried bones etc. do cause a concentration of some types of worm
that prefer a high-protein mix for their feed.

They dragged the bones out and carried them some distance. And they
completely ignore my compost heap, which is squirming with worms.

Mind you, with the AirArms S310, the grape vine is flourishing on a
second-helping of rats...

Seems reasonable. I am planning to buy a Gamo for the pigeons.
My ancient BSA jumps far too hard as the spring goes off to be
accurate at the distance I need.

Come over with the BSA sometime. I used to knock pigeons over with my
BSA Cadet Major.

thinks

Come to think of it - where *IS* my Cadet Major?

/thinks

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

[ rats ]

They dragged the bones out and carried them some distance. And they
completely ignore my compost heap, which is squirming with worms.

Odd. You're not in a soft-water area, are you?

Come over with the BSA sometime. I used to knock pigeons over with my
BSA Cadet Major.

I am confusing myself again - I have a BSA shotgun! It is a Webley
Mark III - still powerful (and, yes, I have measured its approximate
muzzle velocity at c. 550 fps) - but the sping clangs like anything
and it is no longer accurate at 30+ yards (my needed distance).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

[ rats ]

They dragged the bones out and carried them some distance. And they
completely ignore my compost heap, which is squirming with worms.

Odd. You're not in a soft-water area, are you?

No. Decidedly not.

Come over with the BSA sometime. I used to knock pigeons over with my
BSA Cadet Major.

I am confusing myself again - I have a BSA shotgun! It is a Webley
Mark III - still powerful (and, yes, I have measured its approximate
muzzle velocity at c. 550 fps) - but the sping clangs like anything
and it is no longer accurate at 30+ yards (my needed distance).

Sounds like the piston is letting air by it. The pellet should have left
the barrel before the piston comes to rest - slowed on a cushion of
compressed air.

I don't know the Wibbly - my experience of them is restricted to the air
pistols,. Currently, I have a Hurricane. (·177").

Also lurking about the place I have an Edwin Anson air rifle of around
1890-1900 (·177"); a Hainal (I think) from the 1920s (·177"); the Cadet
Major (but I don't know where it is - it's in bits somewhere, probably
on my friend's pig farm.); BSA Scorpion pistol (·22" - also packed away
somewhere the AirArms S310 (·22") and an American pump-up (·22") air
pistol - can't remember its make - though if ICBA to go up to the attic
I could tell you.

Here, (in my garden) I can't safely use any type of gun unless I fire
downwards from an upstairs window. And I don't want the house surrounded
by a swat squad...

I have to take the armoury over to the estate, and then there's plenty
of room. (You can see a few pics of the estate on
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/temp/ - there will be more as I
continueo building up the page.)

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk

In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades writes:
|
| Sounds like the piston is letting air by it. The pellet should have left
| the barrel before the piston comes to rest - slowed on a cushion of
| compressed air.

That is possible but, from the muzzle velocity, I doubt it. My
belief is that it is just too badly worn and the spring is loose
in its container. The clang is a rattling noise rather than a
muffled thud. Anyway, I shall see whether I am any more accurate
with a new Gamo.

| Here, (in my garden) I can't safely use any type of gun unless I fire
| downwards from an upstairs window. And I don't want the house surrounded
| by a swat squad...

I can shoot against a wall, or with care down the garden (it is
some 75 yards from the house to the end), but plan to shoot from
an upstairs window. However, I do need to be able to hit at
25-35 yards for that.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.