We've been battling ground hogs for the last few years. Last year I got a .177 pellet gun. I've dispatched a few that way. Didn't see one for the last 1/2 of last summer, then this summer more traces of the big freakin rats. So, my wife says she saw one CLIMBING THE 6' CHAIN LINK FENCE yesterday. So, I drop some watermelon rinds out this evening. A little bit later I see a ground hog you could nearly saddle up and ride. So, I creep out there, get within 20' of it. I have a tree between me and the beastie. I get the crosshairs right on it's enormous head. Calm my breathing, steady.....steady....hold...it...right...there.....BAM!!!!!
I see stars for a second. Then I realize I wasn't standing properly and the scope came back and bit me a good one. I come in the house and my wife says "did the ground hog shoot you"? Then I saw blood dripping down my nose. Then the pain set in.
What a moron. Tomorrow I have to have lunch with the owner of the company. I need a good story to 'splain the massive bruise I'm sure I'll have, and the gash.
Let's hear it, what's my story?
You hired a really strong hooker...
Wait a minute. I scoped myself with my .308 and it wasn't nearly that bad. Looked like a paper cut. How the hell do you do that with a pellet gun?
it doesn't take much force if its at the wrong angle.
ask a jiujitsu grappler. ;p
I'll try to post pics tomorrow.
At least say it was a bigger gun. My last scope cut came from a .338 Ultra Mag. Nobody who had any idea what the gun was made fun of me, in fact, they were surprised it wasn't worse. Tell them you were shooting a .416 Rigby that you were thinking of using on safari. Should work.
The answer to the original question, "How can I be so stupid?" is generally, "Its easy once you get the hang of it."
I use a scoped .22 for groundhogs, I cant envision a pellet gun hurting like that.
I would use my 12ga if not for the neighbors. (they cant really hear the .22, perhaps think I dropped something in the shop, 12ga will give me away)
We had them bad enough the other year that they gnawed at the doorframes on the house. That created a change of opinion in my moms heart towards them.
Boost,
I think you need to stick with that .177 until you get the hang of it. 300 win mag, for instance, is gonna take you a while to build up to.
(Worst I have are the 8mm Mauser and the MN)
a .177 kicked? my .20 cal Sheridan barely has any
Maybe you need to go to one of these:
I scoped myself once when learning to use scopes. Ended up with 3 stitches between my eyes. But it was a .444 Marlin. Funny thing about that incedent though. Went to the range with buddies to test fire a .22 rifle I was going to buy of one of them. They were sighting in the scope on the .444. After they had it sighted in they let me fire it once and I bounced the scope between my eyes. They took me to get stitches and when I came home I walked into the house with the .22 rifle I just bought and a bandage between my eyes. My wife looked at me and asked what happened. I told her what happened and then she said and you still bought the gun? Then I had to explain the difference between a .22 and a .444 and scope vs no scope.
.177 pellet will take out a ground hog? I've always used a .22.
Grtechguy wrote:
Maybe you need to go to one of these:
If he can't handle the. 177 without hurting himself, he shouldn't go anywhere near that!
Sorry Doc.
bluej
Dork
5/23/12 8:22 p.m.
my dad had a pump up air rifle while I was growing up that kicked harder than a .22 pistol. doesn't take much to slice skin in that area and have it bleed like a mofo, either.
How many times did you pump that thing?
And if you say one more thing about a ute, I will hit you again.
You were using a scope at 20 feet?
My scope cut story involved a .338 lapua. I know better, but was uber nervous about shooting with a bunch is special ops guys and just brain farted. They had a good laugh
aussiesmg wrote:
And if you say one more thing about a ute, I will hit you again.
Haha! Nice!! But it would take a much bigger blow to the head to make my like utes.
stroker wrote:
You were using a scope at 20 feet?
The scope is on it, I didn't know how close I would get, so I didn't take it off. But, with that scope I put the pellet through his eye...and the scope through my own. There, I said it so nobody here had to.
BoostedBrandon wrote:
How many times did you pump that thing?
It's a spring action, 1500 fps.
HappyAndy wrote:
Grtechguy wrote:
Maybe you need to go to one of these:
If he can't handle the. 177 without hurting himself, he shouldn't go anywhere near that!
Sorry Doc.
...I understand. I think less of you if you didn't take advantage of this situation.
But guys, let's stay with it. What's my story? Was I being mugged? Alien abduction? Bear attack?
oldtin
SuperDork
5/23/12 9:31 p.m.
Ground hog was so big, after you shot him, he got pissed and punched you.