[Music]
An old trick of gauging the power of your air rifle was to shoot at a telephone directory
to see what page you could reach.
Putting a twist on this method we're using a different book and we have three willing
volunteers to put three sub 12 ft/lb muzzle energy rifles to the test.
It has been explained to me the reason I have got a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey is that
we have got three different calibres of air rifles and what we are going to do is test
out the penetration of all of the different calibres.
What on earth ... we have got the .22 the .2 and the .177 it is going to make me blush.
We have got myself who is going to be shooting, we have got Andy who is going to be shooting
... he is just sex on legs ...and we have got Mark who is going to be shooting.
He kisses me again passionately.
We are going to take a different calibre and shoot the book and then we have got to read
a page ... no man is an island ... from Fifty Shades of Grey where ever the pellet ends
up.
So it is going to be quite nice and light hearted and just see what offers the best
penetration.
Mark is first up and he's going to be shooting the pre charged .177 Webley at the paperback
sitting 25 yards away.
He hits the target.
Actually look at that.
Now he has to find the last resting place of the Accupell and read from the last marked
page.
Oh no he shakes his head, oh yes he says, she falls down to his knees.
That is enormous.
I can't take that much Mark.
We think that's artistic licence - in many ways - but we have our first result.
265 pages of raunchiness achieved by the .177.
That's impressive penetration.
Next up is the mighty Crow with the .20 in break barrel.
This calibre has a big following on the continent and is becoming better known over here.
So how does a .20 do on the 50 Shades of Grey?
Pretty well actually - it isn't as smooth as a PCP but it looks like Crow's packed a
punch.
What is it just where it has broken the page?
Yes, if the page is not broken that is where you stop.
We are on 308.
I am not reading this.
If you get stuck on the big words I will give you a hand.
You and me are going to tussling on the floor in a minute.
This goes on about a helicopter here.
My wife hasn't got a helicopter.
I think that is a bit where they are not having sex.
That is about a helicopter.
You found the only page without sex.
You have got a special rifle there.
You are only jealous because I got to page 308.
Leaving Crow to find his helicopter, let's remind ourselves that the .177 hit page 265
and the .20 parted the paper as far as page 308.
Finally it's left to Roy to shoot the .22 - and it's a controversial result.
We are on 236 going back, 234 ...
I want another shot, I want another shot.
You had the best air rifle.
I shot it closer to the spine so it was obviously more compact.
No.
I head for the kettle, I need tea, dinner so it begins ...
Roy's 22 busts into page 232 - and in doing so comes last behind the .177, with the break
barrel .20 delving, probing, feeling its way the furthest into the literary masterpiece.
So what does this prove?
- well, it shows that these rifles have enough punch to knock over 50 shades of grey squirrels.
But we don't have squirrels this evening.
We have rats - thousands of them.
So we leave our adult version of Listen with Mother or Jackanory and concentrate on this
evening's airgunning action.
We've been invited to a waste processing unit in Norfolk to join Ken, Paul and Stu, aka
YouTube's KPS Hunters...friends with a passion for air rifles.
Thank you very much for inviting us up here tonight.
You have got the whole Fieldsports Channel crew up here so what are we up to.
Well tonight we are shooting on the transfer station and I promise there will be a lot
of rats tonight.
There is going to be quite a few are there?
There is going to be a lot of rats.
Have you got anywhere I can get up and out of the way.
Yes there is a gantry up there so you can climb up the gantry.
There are no rats on it.
No but you can shoot down onto the rubbish.
That is fine as long as they are not going to be running around my legs.
No, no.
We have had that before and that is not very nice.
There was a lot of screaming off the chair.
So what do you reckon numbers wise?
Well from previous occasions coming up here we have got well into double figures.
The other time we got between 250 and 300 rats.
Right.
In one night.
So you got a lot.
So as soon as you are loading you are firing and reloading so hopefully you have brought
plenty of magazines and pellets with you.
So long as we can hit a couple ...
Oh yes, definitely, definitely we will tonight.
So as long as we can shoot straight.
We will all get in our locations and then we take it in turns each and get round the
transfer station.
Superb.
That will be brilliant.
I am looking forward to it.
If you hear any screaming it will be me.
And it will be me.
This site is over run with rats and if anything's going to show how effective a decent air rifle
is for pest control this is.
Roy, Mark and Crow are all using pre charged sub 12ft/lb air rifles.
The break barrel is taking a break because this is all about quick firing where a magazine
works best.
In total there are seven of us shooting.
Safety is a concern and everyone has a designated dump to shoot into- unless we're doubling
up on the gantry.
Below us the rats just keep coming.
This is unbelievable.
We have got rats running everywhere.
Where ever you are looking or listening all you hear is thpop, thpop.
You cannot shoot fast enough.
As soon as you have killed one there is another one.
We have shot 40 or 50 already and they just keep coming.
Do you want that one?
Oh my god they are everywhere.
Literally it is thick with them.
I have never ever seen rats like this.
On the other side of the gantry Crow is having a great time.
I am having great fun.
I could stay all night.
Lucky I don't live closer is all I can say.
I would be here all the time.
Does chuck up a bit, you soon get used to it.
Course there are lot of rats here, a hell of a lot of rats.
All the time you can hear them running around you and they are not small they are all big
stuff.
I think all the small ones are eaten by the big ones.
They are that big.
They have got cats here, but they don't seem to catch many.
I think they are too scared.
They spend all their time back in the shed there.
Eating cat food.
You do get the feeling that it wouldn't matter how many rats were shot tonight.
They'd just keep coming.
And if there were any doubt, here's the thermal image.
They are everywhere.
We are also getting yet more fantastic night-vision footage aided by Roy's new Nikko-Stirling
scope with the side parallax.
So the nightmaster with the RI on it has really proven its worth here tonight.
It is absolutely brilliant.
We have got it focused in on the scope that we picked up when we went up to Highland Outdoors
and with the nightvision unit on it, the nightmaster is our lamination on top the results we are
getting are superb.
So we are just picking the rats off as we go and literally as soon as you can reload
you can pick up another rat, another rat down.
So it is superb fun.
Roy's also brought along the Webley air pistol.
He's been shooting targets at home so knows what it is capable of.
We have got a .22 pistol that we are just trying.
We have used it on a target back at home and it is supremely accurate.
Although the pistol is not up to the same power that you get with the air rifles it
really does pump it out and with this accuracy if you can shoot rats with it I am pretty
sure you can knock them down.
We have only got a 2lb scope on it so we have got to get reasonably close.
I want to get up to about 15 yards.
So hopefully we can get ... well if we can't get close enough on rats here we won't be
able to ever do it and I just want to see if we can take a couple off with this with
the mic.
Yes.
That is that.
It does work.
Excellent.
With hundreds of pellets unloaded into the rat-infested piles of waste, it's time for
an air refill and catch up with the KPS boys.
How are you getting on?
Not too bad.
It is unbelievable.
I have never seen shooting like this.
They are everywhere.
You can't miss them.
You don't have to bait them, nothing.
You just have to turn up and enjoy it.
It is brilliant.
It is a good night's sport.
As I say I have never seen shooting like this.
It is brilliant, brilliant fun.
How do you like it, alright?
Superb.
Thank you for inviting us up it has been superb.
Are you off?
No not yet.
How many have you got do you reckon?
I have no idea.
We keep shooting.
How many times have you been shooting in this place.
This is the fourth time and look how many rats.
Every time over 800
And you haven't seen a reduction?
No, no and you never will.
Which is good.
People are coming out and really enjoying the sport.
You can't fault this sport up here.
You can't get better sport than this.
No.
It really is absolutely brilliant.
You have got morals ... but I am glad you think it is worth it.
I have never seen shooting like this.
You can't want to have more fun.
What?
I need some pellets mate.
It has been a special night.
Everyone has enjoyed some extraordinary sport.
In total we probably shot more than 300 rats - and still they kept coming.
Maybe the KPS hunters need to start up their own ratting sporting agency, as it going to
take some impressive rat bags to get this lot under control.
And if anyone wants a copy of a well thumbed 50 shades of grey with a few holes in it drop
me a line.
We might even get the boys to sign it!