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| Gooseberry cuttings |
Drizzly, scattered snow-showers...a good day to do little fiddly chores.
I squished some persimmons for seeds and ended up with 194 grams. I am soaking some seed-nuts preparing to stratify them. I cut and stuck some gooseberry cuttings. I will put them in a place where the run-off from a roof hits the pot and leave them alone until mid-spring.
I spent an hour chamfering the insides of small, brass cylinders and refilling them.
The weather tomorrow is expected to be better.
So,after an experience of an attic and
ReplyDeleteand a raccoon I got a .22 pellet gun. I carefully picked a spring powered one because if bad times do arrive co2 and nitrogen propellant cartridges could be hard to source. Cutting to the chase, I did some research on pellets and learned I could spent most of the upcoming year just testing different ones. As an short example, the brand that the first part of the name could remind you of Easter has 2 locally available options. One is 500 rounds of "hollow point" for under $7 while the standard pellets are 400 for almost $13. I bought the 500 rounds choice because I'm obviously a cheapskate. Actually I'm just hoping for a bit of guidance.
ReplyDeleteA .22 pellet and a raccoon is a bit of a stretch, sort of like hunting grizzly bears with a 9mm handgun. Not undoable, but a challenge where accuracy will be key. A .22 is the cat's meow for squirrels, bunnies and ducks, though.
DeleteMy pellet gun like RWS wadcutters best. https://www.pyramydair.com/product/rws-meisterkugeln-standard-22-cal-14-0-grains-wadcutter-250ct?p=788
Contrary to popular belief, the best "brain" shot is usually not between the eyes but in the center of the X drawn from eye-to-opposite-ear. Practice at a few reasonable range(s). For instance, 15', 20', 30' to get a feel for what your sight-picture needs to look like.
Another factor is that you will need to be patient. If your quarry is pointing his nose at you, your pellet will hit a sloping skull-plate and it might not penetrate. You will need to wait for him to drop his nose. If you think you will have to try for a heart-lung shot, then the domed or pointed pellet might be a better choice because they MIGHT have deeper penetration.
Maybe somebody who knows more than I do will chime in.
To add more info, in the burbs in a place where by law you can deal with a problem racoon but don't want to freak the neighbors with a real gun. Pellet rifle has a cheap scope it's night and a flashlight makes the target freeze but the eyes light up , single story house, racoon sits halfway up the roof slope. doesn't mind me getting 20-25 feet from it.(that's 10 feet to the wall, the rest is the roof)so has already dropped it's nose to look at me. Not sure if I can smack it in the eye
DeleteNot much downside to a heart-lung shot unless it crawls into your attic and dies...and you cannot find him. Then you have a stink problem in your house.
DeleteA front-of-body shot gives you a lot of backstop so your pellet doesn't go sailing off and landing who-knows-where.
It's great to have productive tasks that can be done inside when the weather is nasty, AND can wait while the weather entices you to make hay whilst the sun is shining.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has had two raccoons die in their attic, I can attest that you WILL eventually find them and it will be the most malodorous experience of your life.
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