OK I'm using a 303 for my bush rifle,
- Thread starter 6.5x55swm
- Start date
- Location
- Eastern Edge of the Foothills
Okay, this is my story, and even though it doesn't show me in a very good light, it taught me a valuable lesson. It happened a bunch of years ago when I was a fair bit younger, when I was a bit more fast and loose with the "rules", as 20-somethings tend to be.
I was watching a heard of whitetail SPRINTING as fast as they could across a stubble field. The range was somewhere between 400-500 yards. Much too far to shoot at a sprinting whitetail. They were running from my left to my right, and I was watching one in particular in the bottom left quadrant of my riflescope, and following it along as it ran. I had no intention to shoot, because I knew it was a very very low percentage shot. The rifle I was holding I had a hair trigger, and, seemingly out of nowhere... BANG!
My rifle fired. The deer I was watching piled up immediately. I, by accident, nailed the deer perfectly, even though it was on a dead run and was about 500 yards away by the time the rifle fired. It was a fluke, and I openly admit it.
I was on land I had permission to hunt, and I had a legal tag. So I just walked up and started field dressing. There was nothing "wrong" with the outcome, but I certainly felt uneasy that my rifle fired and killed something that I didn't fully intend to kill. It still makes me feel uneasy as I write about it now.
That was my lesson moment. I never glass game through the riflescope any more. I think it's a really bad idea. I only point my rifle at things that I fully intend to kill, and I make that decision BEFORE I bring my rifle to my shoulder. I have binocs on a harness such that they hang right in front of my chest, and it's really easy to use them.
And I also adjusted the trigger on that gun to be a bit heavier.
I was watching a heard of whitetail SPRINTING as fast as they could across a stubble field. The range was somewhere between 400-500 yards. Much too far to shoot at a sprinting whitetail. They were running from my left to my right, and I was watching one in particular in the bottom left quadrant of my riflescope, and following it along as it ran. I had no intention to shoot, because I knew it was a very very low percentage shot. The rifle I was holding I had a hair trigger, and, seemingly out of nowhere... BANG!
My rifle fired. The deer I was watching piled up immediately. I, by accident, nailed the deer perfectly, even though it was on a dead run and was about 500 yards away by the time the rifle fired. It was a fluke, and I openly admit it.
I was on land I had permission to hunt, and I had a legal tag. So I just walked up and started field dressing. There was nothing "wrong" with the outcome, but I certainly felt uneasy that my rifle fired and killed something that I didn't fully intend to kill. It still makes me feel uneasy as I write about it now.
That was my lesson moment. I never glass game through the riflescope any more. I think it's a really bad idea. I only point my rifle at things that I fully intend to kill, and I make that decision BEFORE I bring my rifle to my shoulder. I have binocs on a harness such that they hang right in front of my chest, and it's really easy to use them.
And I also adjusted the trigger on that gun to be a bit heavier.
Anyone who says he has never learned anything about a hunting situation AFTER he looked through a scope has not hunted very much. While it is an ideal principle that one should never use a scope to identify a target, everyone who has hunted game in real life will know, beyond any doubt, that there are times when you must react very quickly, or the chance will simply vanish.
Many times in my hunting life, I have raised a rifle and centered the cross hairs on an animal that I did not shoot because of something I saw (identified) in the scope. Many times. Many times I have raised a rifle and centered the cross hairs on an animal I was still uncertain about, and made the decision to shoot because of something I saw in the scope. Many times.
I will do both things many times in the future. Real hunting will make it necessary.
Many times in my hunting life, I have raised a rifle and centered the cross hairs on an animal that I did not shoot because of something I saw (identified) in the scope. Many times. Many times I have raised a rifle and centered the cross hairs on an animal I was still uncertain about, and made the decision to shoot because of something I saw in the scope. Many times.
I will do both things many times in the future. Real hunting will make it necessary.
The way I see it there are a few different levels:
1: You have heard something, you aren't sure what it was, but think it was probably game, you know where it is coming from, but can't see anything with your eyes.
Rifle scope is not appropriate in this case. Binocs, spotting scopes, eyeballs, or let it walk.
2: You are unsure of what you are looking at, if it is game in the first place. You would have no idea regarding the legality of the game if it is indeed game.
Rifle scope is not appropriate in this case. Binocs, spotting scopes, eyeballs, or let it walk.
3: You know without a doubt that it is a game animal (the type you are hunting for) and believe that it is an animal that you wish to take, but it requires close observation to be absolutely certain (you have a buck tag an need to verify that the antler on the deer is over a certain length).
Ideally this is done with binocs or a spotting scope. It can be done with a rifle scope if no opportunity to use binocs presents itself. The firearm should have the safety on, and fingers should not be in the trigger guard.
4: It is definitely a game animal, and it is definitely legal game for you to take but you wish to look at the game for detail, I.E. number of points, symmetry of rack, whatever it is. Or , for example, if you have a deer tag that allows you to take both antlered and antlerless deer, to determine if the animal that is undoubtedly a deer, is a buck or a doe. Also think of situations where the party you are hunting with has a tag to shoot this game, but you personally may not hold this tag and may not want to use the party's tag on certain game.
A rifle scope is fine in these circumstances. The firearm should have the safety on, and fingers should not be in the trigger guard until you decide if/that you wish to take the game.
5: You are observing dangerous game, and the animal is within 100 yds, or is aware of your presence.
A rifle scope should be used to observe game in these circumstances. The safety should be on, and fingers out of the trigger guard, but in a position that both of these can easily be changed.
6: You are certain of the game, certain of its legality, and you wish to take the game, and are waiting for "the shot."
A rifle scope is appropriate to observe the game. Safety may be off, finger may be in the trigger guard as appropriate.
7: You are certain of the game, certain of its legality, and you wish to take the game, and have "the shot."
Why else would you have a scope? Safety off, finger in the trigger guard, shoot!
All of these presuppose that you have a scope on your rifle, elsewise its all moot.
1: You have heard something, you aren't sure what it was, but think it was probably game, you know where it is coming from, but can't see anything with your eyes.
Rifle scope is not appropriate in this case. Binocs, spotting scopes, eyeballs, or let it walk.
2: You are unsure of what you are looking at, if it is game in the first place. You would have no idea regarding the legality of the game if it is indeed game.
Rifle scope is not appropriate in this case. Binocs, spotting scopes, eyeballs, or let it walk.
3: You know without a doubt that it is a game animal (the type you are hunting for) and believe that it is an animal that you wish to take, but it requires close observation to be absolutely certain (you have a buck tag an need to verify that the antler on the deer is over a certain length).
Ideally this is done with binocs or a spotting scope. It can be done with a rifle scope if no opportunity to use binocs presents itself. The firearm should have the safety on, and fingers should not be in the trigger guard.
4: It is definitely a game animal, and it is definitely legal game for you to take but you wish to look at the game for detail, I.E. number of points, symmetry of rack, whatever it is. Or , for example, if you have a deer tag that allows you to take both antlered and antlerless deer, to determine if the animal that is undoubtedly a deer, is a buck or a doe. Also think of situations where the party you are hunting with has a tag to shoot this game, but you personally may not hold this tag and may not want to use the party's tag on certain game.
A rifle scope is fine in these circumstances. The firearm should have the safety on, and fingers should not be in the trigger guard until you decide if/that you wish to take the game.
5: You are observing dangerous game, and the animal is within 100 yds, or is aware of your presence.
A rifle scope should be used to observe game in these circumstances. The safety should be on, and fingers out of the trigger guard, but in a position that both of these can easily be changed.
6: You are certain of the game, certain of its legality, and you wish to take the game, and are waiting for "the shot."
A rifle scope is appropriate to observe the game. Safety may be off, finger may be in the trigger guard as appropriate.
7: You are certain of the game, certain of its legality, and you wish to take the game, and have "the shot."
Why else would you have a scope? Safety off, finger in the trigger guard, shoot!
All of these presuppose that you have a scope on your rifle, elsewise its all moot.
NewToTheGame
Regular
- Location
- Embro, Ontario!!
Glad to see other people are using enfields in the field. This year at deer camp some guys came over one evening on a camp tour and they saw my enfield... it started a good discussion on history, etc. However at the end of it they asked me if it was a show piece or for conversation. To that i replied nope its my bush gun... their jaws dropped. I find it quite funny that people think that you need a new rifle to be competitive in the game... (just so everyone is clear, we are taking about a 100$ sportered gun)
To make it worse i filled them in on the fact that my main hunting rifle is a 1938 6.5x55 sportered swede... and it took a 12pt buck in those very woods...
Sorry dont mean to hijack.
To make it worse i filled them in on the fact that my main hunting rifle is a 1938 6.5x55 sportered swede... and it took a 12pt buck in those very woods...
Sorry dont mean to hijack.
