Anyone Ever Blown a Shot at a FT Competition When….?

[Ezana4CE]

This just crossed my mind at random. I’ve never competed, but I can imagine myself being this guy.

Any FT/HFT competitors ever been up to shoot, got their scope dialed in ranged, and the real animal (that your target is shaped like) pops up in your sights? If so, which one of y’all shot the animal instead of the kill zone on the target?

I could totally see myself doing this in my state. To hell with the card, I’m bagging the squirrel. If you’ve done this, let’s hear about it.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

This just crossed my mind at random. I’ve never competed, but I can imagine myself being this guy.

Any FT/HFT competitors ever been up to shoot, got their scope dialed in, and the real animal (that your target is shaped like) pops up in your sights? If so, which one of y’all shot the animal instead of the kill zone on the target?

I could totally see myself doing this in my state. To hell with the card, I’m bagging the squirrel. If you’ve done this, let’s hear about it.

I can see me doing that too

 

[rsfrid]

Not while airgunning, but back in 2014 while shooting my 223 at 200 yards, a squirrel popped out right in front of target board. I never gave it a thought - not one second of thought. I simply put crosshairs on it and plugged it!

That's the 200 yard targets in background. So I'd guess 175 yards?

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

Not while airgunning, but back in 2014 while shooting my 223 at 200 yards, a squirrel popped out right in front of target board. I never gave it a thought - not one second of thought. I simply put crosshairs on it and plugged it!

View attachment 325374

That's the 200 yard targets in background. So I'd guess 175 yards?

I've been sighting in and had some birds fly in and oh look new targets

 

[wolfmangreg]

There I was, butt on stool & shooting sticks at the ready, mighty .177 Nitro Express rifle in hand. Just as I'm about to knock down the target, ol' Squatch himself barrels into the lane, teeth & claws bared...

Ok that's mostly 100% not true. Older I get, the better I remember the things that never happened.

No such luck on the field target course. Did have a squirrel keep checking out my rubber mulch trap whenever a pellet hit... must've thought it was dropping hickory nuts.

 

[rcs9250]

One time at Camp Perry, Port Clinton, Ohio, during a service rifle match, there was a match hold because of a boater in the impact zone out in Lake Erie. A groundhog appeared on top of the dirt abutment that protects the target pulling personnel. The word quickly went down the firing line what target the groundhog was in front of. At the command “commence firing” there was an explosion of dirt where the groundhog was feeding. About 50 competitors fired on the poor critter.

 

[davecole]

2019 Nats in Baton Rouge.
My turn on the lane. Sit down (HFT) looked through my scope adjusting the parallax wheel. Glance at the wheel to see the yardage. See a squirrel hops into the lane about half way between targets, glances our way and darts off. Don’t recall the targets. Didn’t take the shot. Don’t think I would have been awarded the kill.

 

[Solo1]

Had a bear go thru by the targets, I didn’t see it but don’t think anyone had any ideas of popping it with a 177!

 

[Ezana4CE]

2019 Nats in Baton Rouge.
My turn on the lane. Sit down (HFT) looked through my scope adjusting the parallax wheel. Glance at the wheel to see the yardage. See a squirrel hops into the lane about half way between targets, glances our way and darts off. Don’t recall the targets. Didn’t take the shot. Don’t think I would have been awarded the kill.

@davecole But you had to at least be tempted to take the shot though right?

 

[Motorhead]

Not while airgunning, but back in 2014 while shooting my 223 at 200 yards, a squirrel popped out right in front of target board. I never gave it a thought - not one second of thought. I simply put crosshairs on it and plugged it!

View attachment 325374

That's the 200 yard targets in background. So I'd guess 175 yards?

We're only seeing 3/4's of a squirrel .. somethings not right

As too plugging a squirrel during an FT match ... CLUB event have done so twice. Championship events been very tempted but know the rules and gone for points over blood.

 

[PGinsandiego]

I have aquired new targets all the time in my backyard, when shooting paper. Its when flies land on my target. I love smacking them so much, I started putting food on my targets to bait the flys. Best time ever...

 

[Ezana4CE]

We're only seeing 3/4's of a squirrel .. somethings not right

As too plugging a squirrel during an FT match ... CLUB event have done so twice. Championship events been very tempted but know the rules and gone for points over blood.

@Motorhead What did you hit and how did these events unfold at the club matches?

 

[Motorhead]

@Motorhead What did you hit and how did these events unfold at the club matches?

Here Out west .. typically Ground Squirrels

Just stated to my lane partner .. taking a non scoring shot .. AT A SQUIRREL, Ok is about it and squirrel dies

 

[davecole]

@davecole But you had to at least be tempted to take the shot though right?

Dude, I thought I would run the timer out contemplating the shot.
I don't recall how many KZ's I hit on that lane although it did mess with my head a little.
"SQUIRREL"!! is so true here.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Dude, I thought I would run the timer out contemplating the shot.
I don't recall how many KZ's I hit on that lane although it did mess with my head a little.
"SQUIRREL"!! is so true here.

@davecole That’s funny. So it isn’t just me. Now I don’t feel like so much of an oddball.

 

[Tpatner412]

Towards the end of our 2019 season at NOA during a club match, I had a squirrel just above a 52 yard target on the tree the target stand was on. I laughed and mentioned it to my lane squad mate, who eagerly told me to shoot it.

As the squirrel moved down to the ground, I quickly took aim, and sent an 8.4 grain JSB through its noggin. This was on our last lane of the course at the time, which shot in a completely different direction from the rest of the course. So I walked down, picked up the squirrel and rested it on a stump, about 8 feet front of the firing line, facing the line/shooter.

Didn’t say a word about it, but had a few comments after the match about the squirrel that just seemed to be “hanging out” staring at shooters. The comments were well worth the miss on the score card.

 

[ctshooter]

We're only seeing 3/4's of a squirrel .. somethings not right

Well that's only because it's curled up, right? .....Right.....??? lol

 

[rsfrid]

@Motorhead What did you hit and how did these events unfold at the club matches?

Ballistic 223 HP is NOT a squirrel hunting round!

 

[Garrettkq]

Ha, yeah, that's how you get off the range here. lol

 

[c_m_shooter]

There is a Roadrunner that lives in the archery range at Arlington Sportsman club. It is not unusual for him to walk through your field of view when setting up a shot. I once was getting settled on a target, shot, dropped the target and was surprised by feathers flying. My partner thought it was hysterical, he could see the the bird behind my target but didn't say anything. I was using a 40x scope, so the target face was bigger than my field of view. The bird was fine, just got hit with splatter. We saw him again that day and later on in the season.