Yesterday was mostly naps (Friday night was the monthly poker game with the fellas) and getting gear ready for a fishing trip coming up in a week. When doing boat work, I always keep an eye out for any critters that need ventilation while putzing around, and often I keep the FX MKII on a rolling stainless table on my deck.
Most of the time I focus on trying to get a squirrel, but it's been days since I've seen one from the deck. I've just been keeping my skills sharp on the innumerable starlings and the occasional Euro dove that will land in trees by the creek. Yesterday I caught some motion about 50 yards past the creek and up the hill; jackrabbit. Not running, just slowly working its way along. The range was about 160-170 yards and there's the usual May stiff breeze coming in from the ocean.
I wish that I could say that I ranged it, did the math, and whacked it with one shot. That's not the case. I missed by about 1.5' on my first shot, low. I DID get the windage right @ 1.75' to the left however, and I made the quick correction to the elevation. The second shot went right over its back. From that distance combined with the green grass and soft Earth, the sound of the gun nor impact of the missing slugs hitting the ground wasn't spooking the hare off. Alerted, yes. But not yet freaked out.
I settled down and waited for the right moment for my breathing and wind gusts and let the third shot fly. This one found its home, and the hare started doing the usual backflips and calisthenics that shot hares do. I watched it in the scope for a few seconds to make sure that it was down to stay. When I looked up, there he is just standing there like nothing happened. What the heck, does it think it's turkey?? I went back down to the scope to get another shot off, and it was then that I saw what was up. Another jackrabbit had come out of nowhere and was investigating the first one! You know what happens next. I had the shooting solution after finishing off the first one, so I was able to drop this one on the first shot.
Believe it or not, a third one came in right after the second one went down. I wish I could say that I whacked that one too, but I missed the only shot I had. He was obviously smarter than the other two and hightailed it out of there. Ironically, there was another JR in the weeds, and it went too at the same time. So, I could've had four in theory, but even two at that range is more than adequate for this shooter.
Most of the time I focus on trying to get a squirrel, but it's been days since I've seen one from the deck. I've just been keeping my skills sharp on the innumerable starlings and the occasional Euro dove that will land in trees by the creek. Yesterday I caught some motion about 50 yards past the creek and up the hill; jackrabbit. Not running, just slowly working its way along. The range was about 160-170 yards and there's the usual May stiff breeze coming in from the ocean.
I wish that I could say that I ranged it, did the math, and whacked it with one shot. That's not the case. I missed by about 1.5' on my first shot, low. I DID get the windage right @ 1.75' to the left however, and I made the quick correction to the elevation. The second shot went right over its back. From that distance combined with the green grass and soft Earth, the sound of the gun nor impact of the missing slugs hitting the ground wasn't spooking the hare off. Alerted, yes. But not yet freaked out.
I settled down and waited for the right moment for my breathing and wind gusts and let the third shot fly. This one found its home, and the hare started doing the usual backflips and calisthenics that shot hares do. I watched it in the scope for a few seconds to make sure that it was down to stay. When I looked up, there he is just standing there like nothing happened. What the heck, does it think it's turkey?? I went back down to the scope to get another shot off, and it was then that I saw what was up. Another jackrabbit had come out of nowhere and was investigating the first one! You know what happens next. I had the shooting solution after finishing off the first one, so I was able to drop this one on the first shot.
Believe it or not, a third one came in right after the second one went down. I wish I could say that I whacked that one too, but I missed the only shot I had. He was obviously smarter than the other two and hightailed it out of there. Ironically, there was another JR in the weeds, and it went too at the same time. So, I could've had four in theory, but even two at that range is more than adequate for this shooter.
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