Gun talk

[British Red]

Leon,

Interesting question. I think there are many benefits. Interestingly, some are similar to the discussion I had with Leon-B recently on "spring gun" vs PCP air gun.

Using a spring gun needs more skill to control and manage the recoil and muzzle flip. Correct stock and comb alignment are needed. Over gripping the forend will magnify error as will incorrect breath control. Same goes for a rifle in my book. Learning to shoot on a large centrefire will ensure correct body position, breath control etc. Getting the right eye relief on the scope can be fairly important too. Shooting over longer ranges bring up skills like reading the wind, understanduing mirage and haze effects. All these disciplines applied to a softer recoiling, more manageable calibre or over shorter ranges can only serve to increase accuracy. Three years ago at Altcar a club I shooting with shared a 300 yard firing point with a local regiment. An informal competition broke out between our "old guard" shooting SMLEs, Mark 4s etc. and the more moder 5.56 shooters. The old guard were mostly in their 70s shooting rifles as old as themselves. No prizes for spotting the winners (despite the range being well within the capabilities of the more modern firearm).

Red

 

[Doc]

Kinda what Leon-1 said.

Good shots, and I mean really good shots are unbelievably calm, focussed people. Medical studies have shown that their pulse drops by 25 beats a minute when shooting.

Red

Not only that, but it has been shown that top level marksmen fire in diastole, that is, between heartbearts and they do this subconciously.

 

[British Red]

Wow, now theres a new one on me! It really is a weird thing though - ever tried to "force yourself" to relax? Not as easy as it sounds! Now the combination of slowing the heartbeat and shooting between those beats - completely logical to avoid movement - how does someone learn to do that unconsciously though?

Red

 

[Silverback]

When I have the cross hairs between ole Charlies eyes my heart is nearly beating out of my ****ing chest!

 

[British Red]

I think the term is "buck fever" there Silverback mate

It is a weird thing - I've had it myself a few times. Recreating the calm you get when "holding the zero" in a target situation is difficult when targetting live quarry. The pressure of a fluffed shot causing suffering is large, combined with that strange feeling of knowing that you are about to take a life. Very humbling in its way. I think anyone who hasn't done it can't understand the feeling as it's so hard to describe.

Very different with a rifle than a shotgun too. A shotgun I think is "easier" as the quarry is usually moving and the adrenaline involved in the quick, smooth reaction is beneficial. Its an "in the moment" thing.

Deliberately targeting a still creature is so different, waiting for it to settle, slowing your breathing, checking that its not tensing to spring or run, couple of breaths and then let the sight settle...then...that moment when you have to choose to end a creatures life forever is...awe inspiring, humbling, sad in a way, honourable if you do your part but above all else...private. Its between you and the animal and the world is just the backdrop its painted on. The circle of life, caught forever in a moment.

Red

 

[Silverback]

I should have been a little more precise there what I refer to is the first glimpse of the old 'tail lights' in the lamp then the slow but sure trot towards you as you 'scritch' with one hand and reach for the rifle with the other. The point at which the quarry reaches takeable range is where the heart is at its peak and every beat is evident to the shooter. As the head drops to the scope and the quarry comes into view all is calm and all thoughts turn towards the task in hand (so beautifully described in your text ). In 32 years I have shot more foxes than I dare think about but I can honestly say that every single one of them has produced that same feeling of excitement - there are all manner of predatory beasts out there but I would put ole charlie alongside any of em. I love a bit of stalking but my real passion is in pursuit of Reynard

 

[ArkAngel]

Oh Dear

So does this make me an unfeeling stonecold killer???

When i did shoot (and as most will know all my firearms went recently) i fell into that "zen" zone with great ease, never getting overexcited, taking my time on a stalk and aiming.
I alway treated prey as a paper target with the emphasis on a "perfect" shot everytime. Never got too excited about a good kill, just a great sense of satisfaction that everything had gone perfectly and the bullet had gone exactly where i wanted it.

Of course i did field target shooting for many years so the dicipline of that may have helped when i moved onto live quarry.

Or could it be i'm in the wrong job and should be a contract assassin for a living just call me "The Jackal"

 

[spamel]

Go to this link and check the 5th rifle (read cannon!!) down.

British forces used to carry the Barrett for taking out mines and Unexploded Ordanance, it has now been replaced with the AW50. I got my hands on one in Iraq this year and it takes a bit of lifting!! This is a shoot from the prone position only gun!

I thought it was an amzing piece of engineering, I was a bit upset that I didn't get a shoot on it, our armourer had it in for inspection before it went off to do its job and he was supposed to get a go on it but he didn't in the end.

You could drop a Subways sarnie down the barrel!!!

 

[British Red]

Look Spamel, please don't trivialise such an important topic with a cap gun

If you are going to shoot, SHOOT

This is absolutlely not for the faint hearted, unquestionably not UK legal and just plain WRONG

http://www.buckstix.com/howitzer.htm


I guess under the heading of "not much cop for deer", this comes under the heading of..."crude...but undeniably effective"

Red

 

[ArkAngel]

Now i did have an article somewhere.................

........"how to successfully hunt rabbits with a Javilin missile"...........


....where did i put it???

 

[swyn]

I have a BSA super 10 air rifle by Adrian Hartley of Stalker rifles. He also makes a 45 caliber air rifle for deer. I still have the slug that he showed me. I don't think these fit into a rotating mag though!

 

[pierre girard]

I'm currently looking at a underlever as a knock about g un to throw in the Landy when I'm out doing the 'keepering jobs I need to do.
I was thinking about a 44 mag but it's not quite deer legal (it's just under according to a few of the local dealers). The next (fairly) easily avaliable calibre up is likely to be 30-30 so that's probably the way I'll go. After all it's probably taken more white tail deer in the US than any other calibre. I also know of one going for a song atm.
It's not that I want to this as a dedicated deer ri fle but as it's likely to be the only one I have with me most of the time I want the option to take anything that comes along.
My dedicated deer set up is a bit too nice, heavy and long to use as a knock about !

Cheers

Mark

I have a number of deer r_f_es, but my grandfather's deer r_f_e, a 1904 Model 94 Winchester, is still the one I've taken the most deer with. I know this sounds backward, but when I'm really serious about getting a deer - it is the one I take.

 

[Silverback]

Oh Dear

So does this make me an unfeeling stonecold killer???

When i did shoot (and as most will know all my firearms went recently) i fell into that "zen" zone with great ease, never getting overexcited, taking my time on a stalk and aiming.
I alway treated prey as a paper target with the emphasis on a "perfect" shot everytime. Never got too excited about a good kill, just a great sense of satisfaction that everything had gone perfectly and the bullet had gone exactly where i wanted it.

Of course i did field target shooting for many years so the dicipline of that may have helped when i moved onto live quarry.

Or could it be i'm in the wrong job and should be a contract assassin for a living just call me "The Jackal"

I dont get the same feeling when stalking because deer don't 'light the fire' for me like a Charlie can. Shooting a fox at 250+ at night that you have called in by lamplight is a world apart from a well executed text book stalk. I most certainly wouldn't say that every shot I had ever pulled off had been perfect (and if you find me a man that makes that claim I will find you a liar) but I am confident enough to say I am damn good at what I do. I also never lose sight of the fact that I am taking the life of a living breathing animal and the day I see my quarry as a paper target will be the day I pack it in. The hardest thing for me to put across to an anti is the fact that I love to hunt and do not love to kill there is a very big difference and I think if when asked this question you reply to the latter it is not the sport for you!

 

[ArkAngel]

I dont get the same feeling when stalking because deer don't 'light the fire' for me like a Charlie can. Shooting a fox at 250+ at night that you have called in by lamplight is a world apart from a well executed text book stalk. I most certainly wouldn't say that every shot I had ever pulled off had been perfect (and if you find me a man that makes that claim I will find you a liar) but I am confident enough to say I am damn good at what I do. I also never lose sight of the fact that I am taking the life of a living breathing animal and the day I see my quarry as a paper target will be the day I pack it in. The hardest thing for me to put across to an anti is the fact that I love to hunt and do not love to kill there is a very big difference and I think if when asked this question you reply to the latter it is not the sport for you!

1 reason i gave up shooting :sulkoff:

 

[Silverback]

Then all power to you ArkAngel, that must have been an incredibly hard decision to have made and speaks volumes for your character.

 

[ArkAngel]

Oh stop it!

It was a toughie i have to admit.

The main reason was for safety. There were just too many people around to make shooting safe. A big shame as i have been shooting various calibres of rifles since i was old enough to hold the cutdown spring air rifle my grandad gave me (who himself was a trained sniper). :notworthy

I will miss shooting, but i found even in the rural location i live in people would give me hassle going about my lawful business. I will not apologise for wanting an easy life. The "anti's/uninformed" won in this case. I just felt that in this day and age, with the current climate that owning firearms is just far too much of a problem.

God knows having knives automatically classifies you as a nutter

 

[leon-b]

i will bring this thread back to life, i am getting a shotgun for the next shooting season, the gun will be kept at my unckes who has shot for most of his life
any info on gun choice, shooting etc
the gun will be used for pheseants pidgeon and maybe a fox if i see one
leon

 

[rapidboy]

depends how much you want to spend for a start.

 

[faff]

get a beretta 391 semi auto. its a nice light gun to use. can get them cheap and hol 3 shots.if you eva go clay shooting you can be frowned upon

 

[rapidboy]

my main user 12G is a Beretta 390, great gun