Charshooter
Member
I was raised hunting. From my earliest memories, I recall having to kill domestic animals for dinner. My mother and grandmother taught me how to get chicken ready for the pot; I was not more than six at the time. We butchered our pigs; my father expected my brother and me to kill and dress out hogs as soon as we were strong enough to hold them up to fence rack them. The same holds true for hunting game; my parents expected me to bring home rabbits in the spring and squirrels thought late summer. Father shot deer and black bear. As soon as we were old enough to shot a high powered rife, such as a 30-30 we were off hunting larger game.
There is something like a pull or attraction when I spot wild game; all my random thoughts vanish and I sense only the presence of my prey. My naves loosen and not heart is silent. I feel one instinct, to kill my prey. Afterwards, I feel an exhilaration that was missing moments before. I am excited field dressing game. Once the hunt is over, I would begin to talk about the good day hunting, yet I am not so aware of the moment when I shot, it is my like a picture in my head than a feeling memory.
I target shoot more today than I hunt. Mainly because I am not as fond of squirrel and other critters such as possum as I was when I was a kid. In addition, one can no longer just go out and hunt anyway and deer season is far shorter than it once was. Besides, too many people who are not from the county are hunting about and most do not know much more than how to scare game. I will say this, there are plenty of shooters who can shoot as well as I can but very few men can hunt as well as me, they are just not born to it.
Now that I am an old man, I bench rest shoot mainly for fun; I shoot 223 and cartridges based on the 308 case. I would say my marksmanship is fair to good off a bench, but it is funny, because I am just fair at off hand shooting, yet if I shoot at a live target, my aim improves about 100& or twice as good! I have a natural attraction or drive towards killing game; it allows me to turn completely cold and emotionless when I see game. My shots at game have always been much better than what I can do at target shooting giving the same body position and the same necessity to shoot quickly. I practiced a good deal to see if I could improve my off hand target shooting, but it is never as good as it is at game. Sure, I shoot tighter groups on a bench with everything set perfect, but that is not how one hunts. If I can hit a coffee can at 100 yards with most shots, then I know that I will not miss a deer at that range, and the same is more true when I am sighted in for long range shots. I will sight my rifle in at the bench but I know I will only lose confidence trying to practice hunting shots, for I am never better than when game is in my sights.
There is something like a pull or attraction when I spot wild game; all my random thoughts vanish and I sense only the presence of my prey. My naves loosen and not heart is silent. I feel one instinct, to kill my prey. Afterwards, I feel an exhilaration that was missing moments before. I am excited field dressing game. Once the hunt is over, I would begin to talk about the good day hunting, yet I am not so aware of the moment when I shot, it is my like a picture in my head than a feeling memory.
I target shoot more today than I hunt. Mainly because I am not as fond of squirrel and other critters such as possum as I was when I was a kid. In addition, one can no longer just go out and hunt anyway and deer season is far shorter than it once was. Besides, too many people who are not from the county are hunting about and most do not know much more than how to scare game. I will say this, there are plenty of shooters who can shoot as well as I can but very few men can hunt as well as me, they are just not born to it.
Now that I am an old man, I bench rest shoot mainly for fun; I shoot 223 and cartridges based on the 308 case. I would say my marksmanship is fair to good off a bench, but it is funny, because I am just fair at off hand shooting, yet if I shoot at a live target, my aim improves about 100& or twice as good! I have a natural attraction or drive towards killing game; it allows me to turn completely cold and emotionless when I see game. My shots at game have always been much better than what I can do at target shooting giving the same body position and the same necessity to shoot quickly. I practiced a good deal to see if I could improve my off hand target shooting, but it is never as good as it is at game. Sure, I shoot tighter groups on a bench with everything set perfect, but that is not how one hunts. If I can hit a coffee can at 100 yards with most shots, then I know that I will not miss a deer at that range, and the same is more true when I am sighted in for long range shots. I will sight my rifle in at the bench but I know I will only lose confidence trying to practice hunting shots, for I am never better than when game is in my sights.
