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DavidS · Banned

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum but a long time gun, [fire arms] owner and as well as breaking into the Air Gun area back in the early '50's with a Daisy Pump. Now I just purchased a Benjamin - Sheridan Trail NP as I've got a problem with destructive and annoying Wood Peckers in the country where I live.

As an example Good Morning; It's a cool brisk morning this Tuesday, May 31st with a temp of 48*. I was awoken earlier at about 6:20Am by the damn Wood Pecker on the roof above my bedroom, seems to be his favorite spot. At least I know he's there but again spent too much time up trying to find out about a new Air Rifle, and being on the forum here, I'm buying as the one I have, a Crossman 1077 a Co2, just isn't not powerful enough especially when the small cartridges loose their full strength, as these birds are smart and cunning and fly to where they are out of range for me. So hence the reason for the Trail NP which hopefully nail the little bass tards.

So when they start pecking on the roof or the tool shed, what a mess they's made of it, I get my stalking practice to try and sneak up on them to get a shot or two but the 1077 is too inconsistant to maintain a shot pattern.

Have a good day & good Shooting,

David

Alstone · Moderator & Site Supporter

Welcome to AirGunHome David, and enjoy the forum.

Al Thumb Up!

broommaster2000 · Moderator

Welcome aboard, and have a good time on this international board of airguns! Mr. Green

oddtodd · Silver Status Member

Welcome to Airgunhome. Get out while you still can! I have been suffering from Air Gun Acquisition Syndrome for years now and I am hopelessly addicted.

Soon you will be working late into the night to get dime sized groups at 45 yards! All you will think of is how to get more FPE and FPS. I now can take apart a springer in under 10 minutes in the dark without pinching any fingers and I can put it back together blindfolded. Run away!!!

You will try 5 shot groups from several different tins and try to use calipers to measure groups to see which pellet accuracy is the closest. You will spend hundreds of dollars on cleaning supplies and special oils that your beauties reuire.

You will stare at chairgun graphs till the wee hours of the morning. You will have a Chrony with remote printing and you will also try different weights of pellets to find the best speed to get your rifle to. Leave us to suffer and sav e yourself!!!

DavidS · Banned

Say OT,

For Gods sake Man, why didn't you tell me all this before? I'm on the verge of buying a Chrony and won't have my New Benjamin-Sheridan Trail NP [TNP] till this Friday, Yea & Hooya!! Oh and I already bought a $689.89 Counter Sniper scope for it too! Can you believe that??

Oh, and I've ordered all the other stuff too, your quite a psychic alright!!!

Holy sh!t, I guess I'm already SUCKED IN, Oh My God! Help Me!! Lets see now what else do I need? Ah. Think, Think, do you smell wood burning!??

I am wondering about about the trigger but think I can rework it to get what I'm after, a smooth fairly short pull. I might even be able to add my own adjustment?

If this baby will shoot like another guys Trail NP where he is getting 1/8" size groups at 45 yrds, I already have a bench rest etc, I'll be thrilled as my little Crosman 1077 just isn't accurate, due to the drop in pressure from the Co2 cart. Something I want to get away from.

The thing I'm not real crazy about is the fact the TNP it a single shot where I've been used to being able to click off two or three or more if needed?
But as I due fancy myself as a DM so the expected accuracy of the TNP may end the multiple shot need? I certainly hope so. One-Shot, One-Kill. Hooya!!

I've already made a quick loader for it and may be able to improve upon the design of that too? Fumbling around pulling pellets from a can just doesn't cut it with me.

I'm also going to develope a chart for 'Calling the Wind' based on the .177 pellets weight that I'm planing on using as my area is most always breezy if not actually windy so a determination of windage hold off is needed.

You may be wondering what good a chart is for Calling the Wind and 'Hold Off' based on a pellet weight is? I'll tell you, any decent scope, IMHO, should be marked off in Mil Dots, both on the Verticle as well as the Horizontal so you can pretty precisely place your shot once you know some predetermined facts like distance and wind speed, as that is how you can determine the correction needed to make the shot when conditions are more than just a slight draft or to determine the needed hold over based of the targets size and distance. A pellet drop chart will also be incorporated on the back of the windage chart which will fit in a shirt pocket.

My scope is a 3-24 x 56mm, hey I'm getting older and need all the help I can get, and I even have an ARD for the front objective [FO], so as to make any reflections off the FO almost impossible to see. it has all that info plus even range finding calibrations and more on the Reticle which is super finely etched on it and a joy to use as well as being really handy along with side focusing to speed things up more conveniently as well as having 1/8 MOA adjustments for precise cross hair alignment when sighting in. In actuality the scope has a second lower set of cross hairs for a quick second shot at a predetermined distance say like between 100 and 200 yards so all you have to do is drop down to the lower Mil Dot and the lower horizontal also has all the Mil Dots for windage correction right there to take advantage of! Really a beautiful scope IMHO. And to think I was looking to buying a less expensive scope.

So this should be a lot of Deadly fun to some nasty little critters as well as just plinking fun and priced reasonably too!

I should mention too I live in the country with plenty of property around me in most cases but depending on how far the TNP will shoot I may need to be cautious.

These damn Woodpecker are not only destructive but extremely cunning so I'm getting my share of stalking practice in, so it's all working out good if the accuracy is there with my new TNP.
I love how much quieter it is too compared to a springer too when I watched a video comparing the Ruger to the TNP.

I need a very good Sniper Rifle that's good for at least 200+ yards if not more and fairly consistant with some real knock down power for these damn birds. I'm tired of watching the pellets fly every witch way when I know I know I'm a better shot than that.

A small book,
I know!

packrat · Senior Member

Some states hold the "greatt red-headed woodpecker" in high regard and will take money from you if they catch you killing them..I'm not saying don't shoot 'em.. just suggest you do a little research Mr. Green

Down here in Georgia, the red-headed ones get really big and are everywhere..with that wild looking unruly red top-knot they are a strange looking bird indeed...the red-head makes them easy to spot Mr. Green

DavidS · Banned

Hi to everyone and thanks for the welcome.

DavidS · Banned

Say Packrat,

Whatever these pests are they are nothing like you describe.

Thanks

Bozo · Veteran Member

All woodpeckers are federally protected (in the U.S.); consequences of being caught are expensive. Individual states may have further consequences. Depredation permits are acquirable, but you must show you have taken "reasonable" non-lethal steps to protect your property.

I also have problems with acorn woodpeckers. from holes in almost every part of the house above seven feet from the ground to literally tearing the shingles from the roof. Step One is to repair any damage promptly to discourage the woodpeckers. (Doesn't seem to discourage them at all. I wonder if it just presents a challenge). Step Two: supposedly they don't like shiny stuff, so you festoon your house with 3 inch by 3 foot strips of aluminum foil hanging from strings so they rotate in the wind and reflect the sunlight. (No sunlight lately to reflect. My woodpeckers seem to ignore the stuff.) Step Three: isolate the favored areas with bird netting held at least 2 - 3 inches from the surface of the building. (I'd have to build a framework to entirely enclose my house with netting, including the roof. And there's so many of the buggers so busy, I'd probably just trap a few inside, where they could continue their destructive ways non-stop, since they couldn't get away.)

So I can't get a permit because I haven't tried all "reasonable" deterrents. Good luck to you, and don't get caught shooting the blasted things.

DavidS · Banned

Hi Bozo,
That's quite a run down you mentioned alright and quite some requirements.

Like I told another fellow I'm really not that sharp about the different birds and the description given doesn't match, but thanks.