April 19th and the Varmint Cong

Every year on April 19th, I try to get out and shoot a little in honor of our ancestors who stood their ground and fired the “shot heard round the world” at Concord Bridge on this date in 1775.  This year, although I attended and instructed at an Appleseed event on the 19th, I did not shoot.  So when I got home, I decided I ought to at least shoot my air rifle.

A couple of years ago I bought a Gamo air rifle with the intention of using it for pest control.  The gophers in our backyard have outdone themselves digging a massive network of tunnels and holes.  They got wise to the gopher traps I put out last year, and are just out of control.

The gophers are industrious and brazen.

This is no Anschutz Olympic-class rifle, but it was not exactly cheap (around $300) so I expected at least reasonable accuracy.  I’d say that it shot like a Girl Scout throwing rocks, but that would be unfair to the Girl Scouts.  It was *terrible*!  It couldn’t put two pellets within a foot of each other at a range of about 35 feet or so.

I complained to the company, but all I got was some lame advice about “breaking it in”.  After a full tin of pellets with no improvement, I renewed my complaints, and they sent me a new scope (the rifle has no iron sights, and came with a scope).  

The Gamo rifle with pellets and binoculars.

Yesterday I finally had time to set up the target again and see how it shot.  It was *much* better!   After a number of shots at the center square of an Appleseed Drill target, I starting shooting at the other squares to fine-tune it.  The top left square convinced me it was zeroed in, as this is the closest range I am likely to shoot it.

The target as it appears from our deck.  I placed it between the bird feeders as that is a gopher hotspot and I wanted it zeroed at that range.

The target after zeroing. 

After I was satisfied with the zero, I continued on with my daily activities.  As usual, I saw the little pests outside my window, peeking up out of the many holes they have dug in our backyard.  The gopher traps I put out last year may be useless, but now it was time for some long-distance pest control.

They have tunnels with multiple entrances, and pop up everywhere.

The Varmint Cong

Who are the gopher’s allies?  The harmless squirrel, and the friendly rabbit.  (I have a story from my Army days involving this scene - ask me over a beer sometime....)

After a couple of misses at a much longer distance (I thought I’d have to aim high), I finally zapped one of the little boogers.  Later on I got a second one.  There are many more, and they’ll probably breed faster than I can shoot them.  But at least now I won’t have to get out the C4 and det cord.  🙂