Great Mysteries of the Sporting Arms World
- Thread starter Ardent
- Start date
Okay, since we're still at this: Why do so many shooters insist on trying to use sub-par, barely-adequate (or inadequate, depending on your viewpoint) cartridges for hunting purposes? I don't mean the guys who have only the one gun, and make do with it when they know that there might be better choices. I'm talking about the guy who has a .308 and a .22Hornet in his rack, and just absolutely has to try using the Hornet on his next deer hunt. Or the moose hunter, who eschews his .30-06 or .300WinMag in favour of his .243.
These guys often start threads, asking for opinions...but they've made up their minds already. They bandy about phrases like "the average deer" (because, of course, we don't hunt for exceptional specimens...we all lust for "average"), and "if I do my part" (although if they were really doing their part, they would choose more wisely in the first place). They invariably tell us how they always wait for perfect shot presentation. Best of all, we are treated to stories about their next-door-neighbour's-milkman's-cousin-twice-removed, who shot a record-book moose in 1958 using a Daisy Red Ryder, and if it was good enough for him why isn't it good enough for the rest of us?
A crusty old African PH opined once to a group gathered around a campfire "If you can't shoot an elephant rifle, that doesn't mean you should use the gun that you actually can shoot...it means you shouldn't be hunting elephants!"
These guys often start threads, asking for opinions...but they've made up their minds already. They bandy about phrases like "the average deer" (because, of course, we don't hunt for exceptional specimens...we all lust for "average"), and "if I do my part" (although if they were really doing their part, they would choose more wisely in the first place). They invariably tell us how they always wait for perfect shot presentation. Best of all, we are treated to stories about their next-door-neighbour's-milkman's-cousin-twice-removed, who shot a record-book moose in 1958 using a Daisy Red Ryder, and if it was good enough for him why isn't it good enough for the rest of us?
A crusty old African PH opined once to a group gathered around a campfire "If you can't shoot an elephant rifle, that doesn't mean you should use the gun that you actually can shoot...it means you shouldn't be hunting elephants!"
^^^that conversation is a whole can of worms....lol
I've always strongly advocated using enough gun to kill what you are shooting at humanely. I don't care if it is a bullfrog or a bullmoose, or something you hate like Coyotes that get into your chickens, shoot it with something that drops it in it's tracks. Nothing should be made to suffer because of your poor choices or some goddamn rural legend.
I've always strongly advocated using enough gun to kill what you are shooting at humanely. I don't care if it is a bullfrog or a bullmoose, or something you hate like Coyotes that get into your chickens, shoot it with something that drops it in it's tracks. Nothing should be made to suffer because of your poor choices or some goddamn rural legend.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
That is a profound mystery...
Just hunt??? No internet banter??? No arguments over tenths of a grain or tenths of an inch??? No grand debate over wood v synthetic, solid v C&C, CNS v lungs, close v far, optics v irons, tacticool v fudd, small bore v big bore???
Just hunt???
Hmmmmmm.... just hunt, you say???
Might give that a try....
I meant the photo as a whole (although the moose is a beauty also!). Composition, lighting, colour, focus...the animal doesn't look as though it just fell out of an airplane and then got hit by a train...nice all around.
If you could just photoshop in a better-looking hunter...
If you could just photoshop in a better-looking hunter...
I meant the photo as a whole (although the moose is a beauty also!). Composition, lighting, colour, focus...the animal doesn't look as though it just fell out of an airplane and then got hit by a train...nice all around.
If you could just photoshop in a better-looking hunter...
I do a little amateur photography, so I pay attention to little details and try to arrange nice composition. You know what they say... "Never let them see your bad shots."
islandhunter
CGN Regular
- Location
- princeton b.c.
Is it a mystery why I've been reading this thread for like 4 days ?!?
A couple days ago I was at the range and had the whole thing to myself, the 50 yd range, the 100 yd, 400 yd, pistol bays, just me there. It was misting a bit off and on with the sun coming in and out, so I guess that kept the others away. Had it that way for hours. I love it that way. My routine for rifle, fire 3 shots at one target, or maybe 6, at two targets. Walk up patch the holes. After a few hours I've got all my exercise in as well as shooting. I keep several targets stapled up though, in case someone else shows up. Quite a pain what you describe. In that case I switch to something in 30 cal or maybe even 44 cal so I can see the holes clearly in the scope.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
After consideration and likewise confusion at this frequently repeated statement, come to the understanding there are different circles of hunters. Just like auto racing has drag, road course, autocross, and even demolition derby we have tree stand deer, mountain hunting, bow, culling, Safari, sustenance hunting and more. I think in other circles perhaps magnums are the mark of "more gas" personalities, in our particular chosen aspect of the sport generally they're in the hands of well practiced folks and appreciated for the advantages they offer. From a tree stand in Missouri or Nova Scotia the benefits of a .338 Mag are admittedly limited, and one can easily forget how different hunting can be accross this continent.
