P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
Wes .... I know the thread is old now .. but far as I am concerned you did OK ... screwed up a bit but .... you have the right approach. We are all fallible and learn thru our mistakes and experiences. Some may think compassion for our ''prey'' is whimpy . I disagree ... it shows caring, which can be applied thru all of life itself.
In fact pretty much the whole thread does show an overwhelming trend toward care and thoughtfulness .... actually rather refreshing and reassuring. ''Blood Lust'' is fortunately not to be seen per se.
I'll just add my small few cents re concerns over results ...... feeling as do most that clean kills are essential and the primary aim.
Probably 8 years ago now ... a farmer friend was besieged by an outa control rabbit population .. this was in UK BTW. It was not that they were eating his crops .. he was a dairy farmer ... no, they were burrowing into his hedgerows (a very ''British'' feature) .... to such an extent that these were in danger of being collapsed and ruined. Local fox population seemed way inadequate to effect sufficient control with the burgeoning numbers on hand.
I took on the task of control ... and over just one summer at weekends, took 134 rabbits using my .22lr Mauser Oberdorfe ... almost all shots around 50 yards ..... long range shots I did not attempt. As a result it was usual to get a ''one shot stop'' .... std velocity HP's did well.
Initially we all enjoyed pot pie ... and dogs did well too .... but over time everyone got tired of that diet, dogs included - so the later part of the season they were left for easy fox snacks.
The main point I wanted to make however ..... in this long-winded approach .. was that at one stage I was out of my usual ammo ... and just had std stuff with solid bullets. This did NOT do well ... even with good shot placement, there was too little shock ... inadequate disruption . and I had one or two at least make it to the burrow ... where i knew they would die slowly. That troubled me greatly. Death/killing cleanly is one thing ... suffering quite another.
I very quickly resumed normal ammo ... even drilling out some solids until I got fresh supply of HP's. Whether we shoot for food, food and control or even just control .... the same rules apply IMO ... rapid put-down ... or don't take the shot .... and choose the ammo that WILL do the job.
In fact pretty much the whole thread does show an overwhelming trend toward care and thoughtfulness .... actually rather refreshing and reassuring. ''Blood Lust'' is fortunately not to be seen per se.
I'll just add my small few cents re concerns over results ...... feeling as do most that clean kills are essential and the primary aim.
Probably 8 years ago now ... a farmer friend was besieged by an outa control rabbit population .. this was in UK BTW. It was not that they were eating his crops .. he was a dairy farmer ... no, they were burrowing into his hedgerows (a very ''British'' feature) .... to such an extent that these were in danger of being collapsed and ruined. Local fox population seemed way inadequate to effect sufficient control with the burgeoning numbers on hand.
I took on the task of control ... and over just one summer at weekends, took 134 rabbits using my .22lr Mauser Oberdorfe ... almost all shots around 50 yards ..... long range shots I did not attempt. As a result it was usual to get a ''one shot stop'' .... std velocity HP's did well.
Initially we all enjoyed pot pie ... and dogs did well too .... but over time everyone got tired of that diet, dogs included - so the later part of the season they were left for easy fox snacks.
The main point I wanted to make however ..... in this long-winded approach .. was that at one stage I was out of my usual ammo ... and just had std stuff with solid bullets. This did NOT do well ... even with good shot placement, there was too little shock ... inadequate disruption . and I had one or two at least make it to the burrow ... where i knew they would die slowly. That troubled me greatly. Death/killing cleanly is one thing ... suffering quite another.
I very quickly resumed normal ammo ... even drilling out some solids until I got fresh supply of HP's. Whether we shoot for food, food and control or even just control .... the same rules apply IMO ... rapid put-down ... or don't take the shot .... and choose the ammo that WILL do the job.
