I can't shoot ;)
- Thread starter AbdullahD
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Trying to shoot a rabbit in the head freehand @ 25 ft is not necessarily an easy shot - particularly with a scoped gun zero'd at 100 y. Sure you can see its head in the scope crosshairs, but hitting it is another story. You will likely continue to miss these shots unless you practice your freehand shooting, or find a rest to shoot from (Not the hood of your car, but a tree would suffice.)
In the meantime, you can give yourself the title of "conservation hunter".
In the meantime, you can give yourself the title of "conservation hunter".
If I may suggest to the op, get a couple of pop cans and set them up at 50 yds and shoot them with the 6mm. Aim at least a couple inches low from the bottoms of the popcans. Enjoy your new skill.
Please make sure you have a safe backstop while doing this.
Please make sure you have a safe backstop while doing this.
If his goal is to shoot the fence and knock all the pop cans off, this will work well.
Improvised shooting is a skill that starts at ground zero. Set clay pigeons on the ground at 25 feet. In all shooting positions starting with the gun down, lift it up and shoot. Its not a race, but your best shot will be within the first 4 seconds. "Acquire and fire" is often the term used.
Too many people are shooting at the range with their rifle in a gun rest and it discredits their hunting shots. I have a range set up at the farm with various sized gongs at varied distances. I regularly practice improvised shooting, even after 40 years.
Too many people are shooting at the range with their rifle in a gun rest and it discredits their hunting shots. I have a range set up at the farm with various sized gongs at varied distances. I regularly practice improvised shooting, even after 40 years.
Btw thanks guys. I have done some standing shooting before, but using iron sights on my sks mostly. I will make a point of practicing, a good skill, is a good skill.
Tomorrow ill be at the range with my 308, maybe ill try around the too.
Tomorrow ill be at the range with my 308, maybe ill try around the too.
I prefer to think of it as "catch and release" hunting...and I am an expert at it.
I like walking the beach shooting clamshells
Used to be this old guy living in new Masset used to go to the garbage dump at night and practice with an air gun on mice and rats
I have never seen any one shoot as well as that old bugger
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We got a draw for 2 bulls right next door to that area.
I didn't read all the responses, so pardon me if this has been mentioned: your shot was probably too low, not too high. At 25 feet, the discrepancy between line of bore and line of sight (maybe 1.5 inches or so...) would still be pretty much unchanged; the bullet hadn't "risen" yet to intersect the line of sight (yes, yes, I know, the bullet never actually rises, but you know what I mean...
).
).I didn't read all the responses, so pardon me if this has been mentioned: your shot was probably too low, not too high. At 25 feet, the discrepancy between line of bore and line of sight (maybe 1.5 inches or so...) would still be pretty much unchanged; the bullet hadn't "risen" yet to intersect the line of sight (yes, yes, I know, the bullet never actually rises, but you know what I mean...
Yes, a couple of us (at least) mentioned that.
What do you mean by "yes, yes, I know, the bullet never actually rises"? Of course it does. It begins 1.7" (or so, depending on scope height) lower than the line-of-sight, rises above the line of sight, crosses the line-of-sight again at the "zeroed" distance, then falls past the line-of-sight beyond the "zeroed" distance and continues to fall. The "rise" obviously increases with increased "zero distance".
Runningfool
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I think that what he means is that the bullet never "rises" above its initial trajectory. Every bullet begins to fall as soon as it leaves the barrel so it doesn't truly "rise" relative to the trajectory of the barrel....damn gravity!
We always refer to it that way, but the bullet never rises above the line of the bore...the law of gravity makes that impossible. Bullets have no "lift", they begin to fall the moment they leave the muzzle. When we sight a gun in, we are actually adjusting the scope so that it points slightly downward relative to the bore, so that the falling bullet intersects the line of sight at some point of our choosing (100 yards, 200 yards, whatever). Therefore, when you aim the gun, the scope is looking right at your target, but the bore of the barrel is pointed slightly upwards relative to that line of sight. The bullet then falls naturally, dropping down to hit the target at that predetermined range.
The bullet only appears to rise relative to the line of sight when looking through the scope...but if you drew a line straight out from the muzzle, the bullet would never rise above that line, it would only fall.
Edited to add: Yes, Runningfool, that's exactly when I meant. Unfortunately, I talk too much and type too slow! I'm sure that if I hadn't said that, somebody would have called me out on my original post. Just no way to win!
The bullet only appears to rise relative to the line of sight when looking through the scope...but if you drew a line straight out from the muzzle, the bullet would never rise above that line, it would only fall.
Edited to add: Yes, Runningfool, that's exactly when I meant. Unfortunately, I talk too much and type too slow!
I'm sure that if I hadn't said that, somebody would have called me out on my original post. Just no way to win!This makes perfect sense, of course.
It depends on the absolute reference point. If the reference point is a flat, level stretch of ground (or the sight-plane, for that matter) then the the bullet certainly could be said to "rise" in relation to that level surface or plane.
Fire a gun in the air at any angle and the projectile will certainly "rise", in relation to the earth, for a significant portion of it's travel. Likewise, when we sight in a rifle the barrel is pointing on a slight upward angle (in relation to the scope) and the projectile's initial trajectory has an upward angle and momentum that certainly makes it "rise" through and above the sight-plane and then return through the sight-plane at "zero". It's total "rise" (relative to earth) is a function of its initial trajectory and its momentum. Just like a rocket.
It's semantics I guess. Who would say that a rocket doesn't "rise" (if we understand "rise" to be an increase in height relative to some stationary plane)?
