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Importance of a clean shot and the right gun
Not really sure if this belongs in the hunting section or not, but here it goes. I have had a nuisance squirrel in my front yard tree for the last few months, it had made a nest and has been tearing up wood around my house and has actually gotten into my attic through a vent a few times. I have an old crossman 760 (I think) bb / pellet gun (pump up gun) in the garage and found it tonight when I was cleaning and moving stuff around. I found the old gun with some BB's loaded in it and put one in the chamber, pumped it up about 10 times and decided to put one through the nest. That woke him up, he jumped out of the nest and ran up the tree about 10 foot, I loaded another round and quickly pumped it up the same 10 pumps or so and took another shot, I didn't have a clean head shot so I just tried to get a pieces of him before he ran off, which I did, I hit him about dead center, he jumped on the roof in dire pain and hid under the overhang. I loaded another BB, pumped it up again and made a clean head shot, rolling down the side of the roof, he fell over the side onto the ground and after a minute or so finally perished. This incident just reminded me how important the right gun for the job and a clean shot means. 10 to 15 years ago I wouldn't have batted an eye at this episode, (just a squirrel right?) but I must be getting old, because this bothered the heck out of me.
Replies
I have hunted with guys who showed absolutely no respect for their intended target, needless to say, I only hunted with them once.
( When I do culls, I still try to show respect to the critturs concerned, however that is not always possible and circumstances sometimes mean that I have to suspend in part that 'ethic')
Jerry
Recoil is how you know primer ignition is complete.
I'm not squeamish, in the least - I just think that a magnificent creature deserves a dignified end. Oddly, this extends to the 'lesser' creatures, as the years go by. I only take head shots with .22LR's on squirrels, having shot dozens in my youth that had to be chased down and finished off, after shooting them with 12 gauge No. 6's. I don't get near as many, but 95% are DRT or clean misses.
I even felt bad, a couple years ago, when I had to chase down a wounded feral hog, with darkness setting in, and it took 4 shots of .45 ACP to end it's misery. That's saying a lot, in a part of the country where feral hogs are considered vermin, to be hunted to extinction, whenever the opportunity exists. My hunting partners, that day, thought I put out way too much effort, but I guess some folks are just wired differently than others.
JAY
Jerry