As regular readers all know I'm a complete retard with a shotgun, really the moment they breed a pigeon the size of a barn door I'm going to be lethal, until then if it wasn't for rifles and the fact that pigeons can't feed and fly at the same time, I'd be vegetarian.
Like all dad's everywhere I am beset by a nagging fear that my children will not surpass me, I've set the bar pretty low but I suspect they're from a pretty lacklustre generation of couch potatoes [evidence here].
Start 'em young and keep it fun. Anyone can learn anything as long as they don't know they're being taught. The London Poacher told me how his dad had set him on the road to the sniper skills he later developed by having him hunt snails in the back garden with a spring air rifle. Could Bug-A-Salt be that teaching aid?
Last weekend Bushwacker Jnr and I tried some patterning with tin-foil [aloominum foil in the US]. The salt is certainly coming out fast enough, but in a cloud. We searched his mum's cupboards but the only salt she had in the armory proved a mis-match between the force of propulsion and the weight of the projectiles. We need coarser salt.
More in part 2
Your pal
SBW
Awesome! My brother gave me one of these for Christmas this past year, mostly as a sort of joke, but I've got to say I have enjoyed it, and many a window-bound moth has paid the price.
ReplyDeleteMy brother was here with his 7 year-old grandson over the weekend, and the kid was bored while us adults were jabbering and sipping grown-up beverages as we do, so I loaded it up and gave it to him with instructions to clear my screens on the porch. The kid was in heaven!
So enjoy yours! I look forward to tales of adventure as you stalk whatever fearsome buggy things you stalk in your part of the world.
Phillip
ReplyDeleteWas the 7 year old able to cock it himself?
Either its loosened up or you really do breed 'em bigger in Texas?
SBW
He had to struggle to pump the gun, that's for sure. But he's a big guy for 7 (blame North Carolina, not Texas) and when a 7 year-old is properly motivated and determined, there's very little he can't figure out.
ReplyDeleteExcellent
ReplyDeleteWe have a bit of a 'toy gun' ban in the house (at 6 my daughter understands if you point a gun at something the expected outcome is death and food)....but this is no toy and given my hatred of wasps will be asking the brother in law to bring one back from the US
Regards
Moel
Moel
ReplyDeleteSeriously you will not be disappointed, they are excellent. My 8 year old daughter has trouble cocking it, shes pretty determined but petite like her mum.
I'm interested to see how it performs on wasps, road salt maybe the ammo of choice as their exoskeletons are pretty tough and its best not to antagonise them!
SBW
I can tell you that it takes several good hits at VERY close range to take down a large moth. I would be hesitant, at best, to try this on wasps. However, with heavy salt, you might get better performance... if you don't gum up the action.
ReplyDeleteIt IS a toy. Lest we forget.
Phillip
ReplyDeletedefine 'large moth' you are writing from texas after all.
SBW
Highly energetic post, I liked that a lot. Will there be a part 2?
ReplyDelete