Country Rat: Its whats for dinner :)

Atchman2

New member
Well I was watching TV when I heard the "ding donger" (driveway motion alarm) go off. I didn't have time to setup the video camera but I grabbed the TF 89 airgun off the back deck and headed outside.

Normally I have a shooting stool outside, but with the rain it was inside. I grabbed a Crossman Premier Hollow Point off of the pellet holder on the side of the rifle and loaded it quickly.

The possum didn't make a move as it was looking around for food or something. I crouched down over the deck rail and sent the 14.3 grain CPHP hollowpoint screaming down range towards the possum's head.

I was aiming between the eye and ear, where all my "bros" tell me to aim. The pellet sped straight and true and the possum went down with a loud "THWACK". I quickly reloaded just in case. For an instant, it played "possum" then went into a wild death dance. It ended up about six feet from where I shot it. It was the huge possum I've been seeing on the camera for the last few nights!

Possumdown1.jpg


I gloved up and went down to get him. It is 33 yards from my deck rail to where I shot him! I've been practicing shooting that distance with the TF 89 and the RWS 350. Today practice paid off!

bigpossum.jpg


You can see how big he is compared to my magnum air rifle! It is a TF 89 with a Leapers 3 x 9 non-AO scope I got from one of my GTA airgun forum mates. He didn't like it because it didn't have an AO. I like it because I don't have to mess with an AO. I dropped the rifle hunting a few days ago and dented the scope pretty badly. It didn't hurt the scope any but the dent is in the sunshade part of the scope.

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Here is the TF 89 posing beside her kill! She has become my most reliable hunting rifle. You can see my pellet holder on the side. That makes going hunting pretty easy, just grab and go.

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Perfect shot in the "fusebox" from 33 yards! My friends at the buzzard roost over in Louisville will be happy!
 
Got to love air rifles! I keep saying I'm going to get a good one, "some day." Seems that "some day" just hasn't come yet.

Tell us more about your rifle, if you don't mind, like caliber, velocity, accuracy etc.
 
I have a crosman storm xt. It is a break barrel rifle that shoots 177 cliber pellets at about 1000 fps and if you get the pba ammo it will shoot 1200 fps I killed a possum with it the other day.
 
I want to know more about your pellet holder and if they can be had in .177 caliber. I have an RWS that I grab for similar situations but always find myslef fumbling with the canister (Crosman Premiers, also!) of pellets in a rush.

Good shooting by the way!
 
Originally Posted By: hunter97I have a crosman storm xt. It is a break barrel rifle that shoots 177 cliber pellets at about 1000 fps and if you get the pba ammo it will shoot 1200 fps I killed a possum with it the other day.

You really don't need the PBA ammo. Regular Crossman Premier Hollow Points are just fine for possums or raccoons. The PBA ammo can go supersonic causing a loss in accuracy and additional noise.

A Storm is a great rifle. You just have to hit them in the head.
 
Just a question. Were did you get that pellet holder. Also right now I am currently shooting the crosman destroyers ex.
 
Just a question. Were did you get that pellet holder. Also right now I am currently shooting the crosman destroyers ex.
 
http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/search.pl?cx=002970863286801882398%3Ajlcminxfwdw&cof=FORID%3A11%3BNB%3A1&q=pellet+holder&sa=Search&search_for=pellet+holder&cmd_search=Search

This the pellet holder I use
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: hunter97I have a crosman storm xt. It is a break barrel rifle that shoots 177 cliber pellets at about 1000 fps and if you get the pba ammo it will shoot 1200 fps I killed a possum with it the other day.
do you have a chrony?
i recomend getting one and checking the velocity
most airguns dont shoot the quoted speed
which is good because most pellets shot over 950 -1000 fps go very unstable
for .177 i like to keep them right at 900 or so seems very nice for .22 i go for mid900 to upper 9's
if your shooting hot at 1000 fps get a lube tune kit and slow it down a tad
not only will the reduced speed help accuracy tremendously it will also smooth out the shot cycle

with airguns your already at a lower power than firearms so accuracy is te name of the game
if your shooting a 30 fpe gun and cant hit the head of a rat at 30 yards its useless but a 14 fpe gun hitting the rats eye at smae distance is deadly
for airgun sized game the storm is perfect a little lubing and tuning and it will be a tack driver with some practice
 
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