MASTARBLASTER
Member
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2011
- Messages
- 47
Earlier today I was thinking of the variety of hunting environments that are available in the U.S. and both game and nongame species that I have toasted and roasted . Yet in reflecting on game I have shot and roasted , some of the best "hunts" have been when no shot was taken out of ethical respect for the game where distance, shot presentation and caliber in hand were not in synch to justify a shot. Such memorable yet fleeting opportunities to get a "trophy" mount and not being well prepared to take the shot has been in part, strong motivation to seriously study firearms and ballistics. Now, With that being said, one of the great hunts that has been recorded in my memory has come from a "campfire" tale from an elder neighbor, whose ready fluency on rifle calibers and ammo weight for each was quite impressive. Knowledge he acquired from weekly hunting in southern Arkansas, decades before man landed on the moon, a tale of modern technology which he refused to believe. In his retirement years, after he had moved to Texas, Mr. Neely could find a willing ear as I found his hunting stories captivating. Living on a small 80 acre spread, he described a casual evening after a full workday as going home, getting his shotgun and walking to the woods to see if he could get a rabbit or 2 for dinner or next days lunch at work.
As for the hunt that remains clear in memory , it came as a result of our .223 vs any other centerfire cartridge for deer, he always said, "that's a varmint round, not enough bullet on it for me to hunt deer !" I countered that a 55gr. CoreLokt soft point does the job quite well here in Texas. He went on to describe his leading shot on a fleeting deer with a .243 rifle after his scope zero had evidently been altered. Mr. Neely recounted, " I had the deer lined up just right in my scope at 50 yards and squeezed the trigger, "BAM!" the deer raised up sniffed the air and took off toward the thick woods across the creek about another 100 yards away. I figured I must've bumped my scope, so I had to look underneath it and try to get another shot before it got to the creek. The deer was running by leaps between trees and I led him just right, "BAM !" and I saw him flop just past the creek. When I walked up to him, I did not know a little .243 would do that much damage to a a buck, it blew half his head off !
In reflection and perhaps because I have not hunted with a .243 or the excitement I sensed at my 70 plus year old neighbor reliving his glory days, this is one among many campfire tales of great hunts in my memory. I know others who have hunted coastal grizzly bear in Alaska or dangerous game in Africa or any game in between have much more chilling tales than this offering . However, I now realize that what really makes a great hunt, is not just the game, but the neighbor you love and trust to hunt with in the thickest, darkest woods.
Yeah, I know every husband is supposed to love his wife, but how many husbands trust their wives in the woods with a centerfire rifle as part of his hunting party ? Not a poll, just posing a question for consideration.
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Nothing can bring you peace but yourself; nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles .
-Ralph WaldoEmerson
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