Sadist running the skeet range

[Smoke]

Sunday, a day to relax, a day to spend with family. A day I thought would be nice to spend some leisurely time at the skeet range warming up for dove season.

So I load up a couple of guns, a bunch of shells and Matt (my 5 year old) and head to the range. We have it all to ourselves. I unlock the houses, run out the cable, power up the traps and set a chair up for Matt at station 4.

I explain the buttons on the controller...high house, low house and doubles. He nods. I set up at station 6 and call for a bird. "Low house" and a glimpse the bird as it sails past me...from the high house. I explain again....he looks at me like I'm daft and nods again.

I call for another low house, he gets it right and I bust it. Good start. We do a few lows, a few highs and I move to station 5. He's itchin' to hit the double button so after a few birds I call for a double. I hit the low house and missed the high...then see another bird sail out of the high house....but my SxS is empty. I look at Matt...he grins.

I'm tired of yelling for the birds and it's time to get serious, dove season is full of surprises so I tell Matt to surprise me. He lets loose with a low house followed by a double. It took me both shots to hit the one...I watch two birds fly by with out even a shot fired. I look at Matt....he grins. I cuss, silently under my breath.

"Surprise me again...but just one this time" A double...I almost saw the second one....little mumble griumble...from his mother's side
I get psyched up....sure enough a double, I powder the first, chip the second, break open the gun, ditch the shells, reload and get one of the next set of doubles, and nab the next single. I'm proud of this accomplishment and glance at Matt...as he thumbs the low house button again. Dang.

I decide to put up the twin barrel and grab my serious shotgun, an 870 that holds 6 + 1, 20 inch barrel, rifle sights, cylinder bore. Let it rip Matthew...

Doubles, followed by singles followed by doubles, reloading again....things are getting intense. I'm fumbling shells....busting a few birds....getting a workout.....while he sits in the chair....he's taunting me...little juvenile sadist.

I put a lot of lead in the air. Matt is having a ball pushing buttons as fast as he can. When the timer finally shuts the traps off I breathe a sigh of relief.
I close up the range. Load the gear. Matt helps pickup spent shells and we hop in the Jeep. Matt takes a pull off his Dr. Pepper, looks at me and says "You're not very good at this"

Little grummmble mummmble.....got to be his mothers side.....

 

[Beren]

Sounds like you let him push your buttons.

 

[kudu]

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

"You're not very good at this"

I love that line. And I think Beren got it right.

 

[Hawk]

I've never hunted nor even seen one of those storied Texas doves. I've read that they're little grey F16's that are equipped with inertial dampers allowing for improbable abrupt changes in flightpath.

If one were to tote a single fixed choke gun, what would be the best bet for those little UFO's? I've heard everything from "turkey choke long tom" to "dispersion choke coach gun" and everything in between.

Is there a consensus?
Or do they really present that variable of a target?

 

[Preacherman]

Just remember, Smoke, them's your genes at work!

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

If one were to tote a single fixed choke gun, what would be the best bet for those little UFO's?

We have the same doves in Colorado, and my answer would be modified.

Better yet is a o/u with imp cyl and mod.

 

[PJR]

Great story. One a more serious note, I hope this picture was posed and that while you were actually shooting your son was wearing eye protection.

Pellets do strange things sometimes. Last summer one of my pellets struck a good friend of mine in the neck deeply enough to penetrate the skin and draw a trickle of blood. He was standing about ten feet BEHIND the shooting station and we concluded the pellet went under the rim of the target and flew back at him. It would have been far more serious if that pellet had hit an unprotected eye (For the record my friend was wearing glasses).

It's great that shooters bring their youngsters out to the range but even for spectators and especially for the kids the rule should be eyes and ears ALWAYS.

Paul

 

[GunnySkox]

C'mon, Smoke, you let yourself get pwnz0r'd by a five year old? Y'gotta tighten up, man, maybe you're slipping in your old age.



~Slam_Fire

 

[Hardtarget]

I think that was the funniest posts I've read. I'm thinking my grandson would fit that mold. I'm not sure when I'll hand him the buttons.
Mark.

 

[SShooterZ]

I think that was the funniest posts I've read.

I agree!

 

[anapex]

Great Story! I could totally see my boys doing the same kind of thing.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Great story. Thanks...

Dove shooting is a reality check. About the time we get to thinking we're hot stuff with a shotgun, dove cause us to use up a box of shells for 1/2 lb of meat.

For dove, I tend to pack tubes from Skeet to Full, and often end up using the tighter ones. Try Mod for starters.

 

[Smoke]

Hawk,

Try to shoot a ping pong ball inside a tornado. Dove can duck, dive, accelerate, and do a 180 so fast as to defy all laws of physics.

There is no consensus on chokes. A guy I frequently hunt with shoots a pump gun with a turkey choke. His theory is to bust the dove while they are far enough away as to feel safe and not start the acrobatics. Works for him.

Also terrain plays an important part. Out in Monahans where I often hunt shots are close up and quick as the Mesquite trees hide the little buggers until they are right on you. I set up my double with a skeet and a full. Use the skeet when they're coming in; full when they're going away.

Dove are simply the most aggravating thing to hunt I can think of, and the most fun.

Smoke

 

[Hawk]

There is no consensus on chokes.

Thanks - I was starting to think I was going (more) nuts. A buddy at work got an invite to hunt some of those things and needed to borrow a gun. When I asked what the right type was, I got the distinct impression that dove are not bound by the laws of our physical universe.

"They can reverse direction without losing velocity"

"The flight path resembles a tortured folded double helix...vibrating and phase-shifted"

"They can be in two places at one time or, from the standpoint of the shotgunner, in neither place at the same time"

One helpful soul sent me a pic of a purported dove flightpath.
Now I'm really getting curious - might have to wangle myself an invite.

 

[HSMITH]

That was excellent!! Thanks for the read!

 

[TrapperReady]

Smoke - Outstanding post! (as usual)

I've been taking my sons (7 and nearly 5) out while shooting sporting clays quite a bit this year. They both love to press the buttons. The 7 year-old is very concerned with the rules and checks the scorecard to see if it's a report pair, true pair or following pair.

The little one prefers to launch them in whatever manner he sees fit. Usually laughing.

I can't wait until I can be their trapper.

 

[P95Carry]

Roger - thanks for a real fun read

I dread to think what he will dream up for you out shooting in a few year's time - maybe firecrackers just behind you as you are about to take a shot! Haha!

 

[Tylden]

That's got to be one of the best posts I've read in a LONG time ! Kids.....gotta love em

 

[scout26]

My 11 yo daughter did that to me on the trap range a couple of weeks back. I yelled "pull" and broke the bird. As I was getting shells out the the pouch, I hear the trap release and see a bird flying down range. I look back at her and she has a stack of birds and evil grin on her face as she cocking the trap machine. She was pulling as fast as she could cock and load the machine. I was scrambling to reload. The funny thing is, after the first not-shot-at bird. I didn't miss one.


That made her really mad.......


Then it was her turn to shoot..........