[pfoxy]

It being winter, the grackles are raiding my chicken coop again. They fly in through the chicken hatch, bathe in their water, scatter their food and crap all over everything.

They "stage" in a tree near the coop. If I shoot from the garage, I can get a good angle on the tree with several miles of nothing behind it.

Question is this: Is it better to leave the gun (Savage in .17HMR with a good scope and a bipod) in the garage at a constant, if DARN cold temperature, or lug it back and forth whenever a shot presents itself?

Pros would be less chance for condensation. What are the cons?

 

[jodum]

I would leave it on the porch at least. I walked in the house with my Marlin 44 carbine yesterday and it immediately looked like someone had hosed it down. I put it back in the truck and turned the heater on to warm it up before taking it back inside.

 

[kdub]

Only con I can think of is possible theft. Otherwise, best to leave it outside in the garage rather than back and forth to the house.

 

[UnCruel]

I know the opposite is definitely true. I can't tell you how many times I have stepped out of the air-conditioning with my camera into the humid St. Louis summer air, only to have my lens fog up.

I wish I lived next door to several miles of nothing.

 

[pfoxy]

I wish I lived next door to several miles of nothing.

Only in one direction, unfortunately. Houses close aboard on both sides and the Post Office across the street. Due North is 5 miles of timber and ponds.

 

[pfoxy]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=prospect+harbor+me&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.418852,67.763672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Prospect+Harbor,+Hancock,+Maine&ll=44.439663,-68.035412&spn=0.080402,0.132351&t=h&z=13

I'm at "A". The roughly triangular bit bounded by 195, 186 and 1 is 5 miles deep and a couple of miles wide, completely uninhabited and unimproved. It was cut off for timber 50 years ago and has been selectively cut in spots since.

 

[AVIVIII]

As much as I love the 17hmr, I would opt for a shotgun. I've got a nice old 870 that ought to mow them out of the tree nicely. And at that point I wouldn;t worry too much about the gun or the cold bore shots.

Whatever you do, I would definitely leave it out in the garage, the constant cold is probably better for it. The only thing that I would be concerned about is the scope. If it is a "good" scope as you described, I would think it would be fine, but I don;t leave my scopes out in the cold either...

 

[pfoxy]

As much as I love the 17hmr, I would opt for a shotgun. I've got a nice old 870 that ought to mow them out of the tree nicely. And at that point I wouldn;t worry too much about the gun or the cold bore shots.

Whatever you do, I would definitely leave it out in the garage, the constant cold is probably better for it. The only thing that I would be concerned about is the scope. If it is a "good" scope as you described, I would think it would be fine, but I don;t leave my scopes out in the cold either...

That would certainly be more efficient, but not nearly as much fun... Not to mention that I can't get close enough with the scattergun before they all fly off.

One shot a day or so is enough to scare them off for the rest of the day. Haven't nailed one yet, it's about 75 yards away, and they're 20 feet up in the tree, haven't got my POA figured out yet..

 

[Kragman71]

Another "con" is that you have little or no control over who is invited to share the cabin with you.
Some childlike"hunter" may pick it up out of curiosity.It DIID happen to me.
Frank

 

[mattsbox99]

I'd say take it inside between birds. If you only get one shot a day, there is no reason you can't just leave it by the door.

 

[BarkBuster20]

id say leave it inside as well...i wouldnt really consider leaving any of my rifles in a garage, if im gonna go out too shoot something like a crow or racoon or coyote etc, i just carry the rifle out the door, usually lean it in a corner by the door for easy access if i think ill be using it, usually have my .22 bolt rifle ready for racoons, coyotes, and the occasional bobcat trying to kill the chickens.