Best shot you ever made hunting?

[GobblerKnob]

Not sure this counts, but I was as impressed as an 8 year old could ever be! I lopped the head off a flying dragonfly once while I was skipping stones. The poor bugger had the misfortune of zigging when he should have zagged. I believe that was also the first time I ever muttered (read, "yelled at the top of my lungs!") the expletive: "HOLY !!!! Did you see that?!" ::
Rick

 

[Blue Smoke]

Best shot I ever made was the first 5 minutes hunting with a Muzzleloader.Opening day had been practicing loading,shooting,and reading everything I could on Muzzleloaders.I was nervous as to how this was going to work.

I was setting up next to a tree,a Doe and Buck was coming up through there first light.Doe was in front so I had a bead on her just let her come,she got 5 yards from me I dropped her with a shot to the heart.Reloaded,called on my Grunt call watching where the Buck had run.Hear something behind me,looked nice 10 point 20 yards from me.Pulled up shoot him through the heart.

5 Minutes into the season,two Deer on the ground.Whats the big deal about these Muzzleloaders

Two other times I have basically did the same thing,drop one Deer have another one watching me while I reload drop it.And thing is I don't do it slowly,I get it done,figure if their going to run so be it.

Didn't read the Post as far as shooting Dogs go but in Missouri it is illegal to shoot Dogs no matter what.I had couple guys shoot two of my Dogs.I sued them and won no problem.

Blue Smoke

 

[jackc]

My best shot with a muzzleloader might very well be the best shot I ever made with any firearm:

It was a July 4th squirrel hunt with my new Tennessee Poor Boy .36 flinter. I had spent quite a bit of time learning its intricacies and getting the sights just so.

A friend and I had agreed on a black powder squirrel hunt to celebrate the 4th but at the last minute he elected to use his scoped Marlin .22 mag. We were hunting the Canadian River here in central OK and the squirrels were in the very tops of the cottonwood trees. To make matters worse, the wind kicked up and the squirrels (they were scarce that day) were constantly swaying back and forth on the wind-blown branches.

My buddy fired several shots at one waaaaay up there and the squirrel acted as if it didn't even know we were there. My hunting partner, looked at me disgusted with himself and said, "You take a shot!"

I took a rest against another cottonwood and decided to try and time my shot for when the moving squirrel reached the end of its' swing on the branch. At the sound of the shot, the squirrel came tumbling down.

Terry looked at me and told me I was the luckiest *&%^&(&%&*&%*( in the world. Being a smart%$*^ I couldn't resist replying, "I shoot all my squirrels in the eye, don't you?" We walked over to pick up my squirrel and danged if that ball hadn't entered just below the eye.

Without missing a beat I said, "Dang, I guess I need to file that sight just a little lower."

We still laugh about that day 20 years later.

Rocky Point Jack

 

[Pork Chop]

Well, I guess that this is a hunting story of sorts.

I got my first "gun" when I was 2. It was a Daisy BB gun. I spent many years enjoying being in the woods with it. After it got broken, I received a Crosman 760 Powermaster. I still have it. Back then, I was pretty good with it. (I would come home from school, grab the gun and be over the fence inside of 10 minutes.) I never shot at animals that I didn't intend to eat, so I practiced on things that I found out there. On my favorite path, a few big fat bumble bees decided to take up residence. Any time I came along, one or more buzzed around menacingly. One day I figured that I had enough of it. I was annoyed about having to go around, so I pumped the rifle up 10 pumps (way overkill), and sighted in on this zigzagging critter. When I squeezed the trigger, the wings took off in opposite directions!

I was rather proud of that shot, and actually did it again a few days later.

In later times, (college) I was on the rifle team for my school. At the range (ROTC) we had extra ammo, so we were ordered to expend it. I annoyed the PMS (Professor of Military Science) by shooting a smiley face on the 50 yard target.

It has been so long now that I am just happy to get it on the target at all...

 

[sidelock]

Hi Porkchop--- I very well remember making the rifle team at Va Tech as an eng student along about 1954--- problem was -- I was a co-op student (working half time).My PMS was sure upset when I explained that I wouldn't be there for for the fall matches.------- But it sure was fun making the team .

 

[3 stinky dogs]

I got my first great shot yesterday afternoon with my Cva bobcat.I aimed at one of those things that grow on Osage trees and called the shot pulled the trigger and turned it to mush.I think it was at about 35 40 yeards.For me thats good shooting as I am a lousey shot and this is my first ml long gun that I have shoot regulerly.

 

[Rebel]

Not sure a Bobcat would qualify as a long gun, :: but sounds like ya made a good shot with it. Now yer going to have to get a Real long gun in flintlock for a real challenge. Have fun, and welcome to the addiction.

 

Most of my 'best shots' were with cartridge guns, but one stands out last year with my squirrel rifle, a custom 36" barrel .32 Tenn rifle. I was in a deep bottoms and the day was overcast and it was early in the morning (read DARK). I heard a squirrel bounding through the treetops above me, but couldn't see him. Finally he 'skylined' himself on a wavy branch out about 40 yds, but I couldn't see my sights...I held off him against the grey sky so I could line up my sights, then eased it back on him and squeezed off. The flash in the darkness blinded me and I couldn't see him, but a few seconds later heard the thump as he hit the ground: .32 ball through the neck. I had trouble finding him in the dark bottoms, but did (it was legal shootin hours, just a dark day and a thick tree canopy). It was probably luck, but it felt good anyway. For those who like stats: .310 ball, .016 ticking, 24 gr fffg, Longhammock barrel.

 

[OTHERN]

My best shot was a number of years ago on my 1st trip elk hunting with a muzzleloader. I was using a 50cal TC and shot a cow elk at 9 steps.

Othern

 

[rabbit03]

Well I was kind of ashamed to post my stuff but after reading every ones here I guess I wil.

The furthest shot was, and I apploigize, with a 25-06 took three shots to hit the doe but it was paced off at 485 yards. The best shot ever was a buck on the run in the snow in upstate NY at about 115 yards with the 30-30 Winchester.

The best one with a muzzleloader was when I had the ol .54 cal. Renegade in the 70's. The in-laws had a steer that had gotten out with the other cows (he didn't know he was supposed to be butchered) (or did he?). Spent about an hour trying to cull him out from the rest of the heard. I finally told the brother-in-law to hang on for a bit and I would make him mind. Went and loaded a 535grn mini I think it was with about ALOT of powder and shot the steer right between the eyes at about 10'. He went a__ over tea kettle and never twitched a muscle. Told brother in law, now he could go and get the tractor.

Well I did hit a Robin at the range one day with the .45 cal. Hawken but I got chewed out royally once when I was a kid about shooting a redbird and dind't think I should tell that one but there you go. Oh the robin was at 70 yds out and it was an offhand shot.

rabbit03

 

[sniper68]

Ya'll might appreciate this one, if I can tell it right, cause I sure did at the time.
In late 1970 I was deer hunting at the Quantico Marine base were I was Stationed at the time(shotgun,slugs only, muzzleloaders .40 cal and above).
It was late morning and I was walking down a
hilly tank trail, with my .40 cal flintlock, horn and bag when I came upon another hunter, who had a Rem.1100. He asked what in the h#!* was I carying! Of course when I was done explaining what it was, he said the only time he ever saw one was watching Davey Crockett on TV and didn't believe I could kill a deer with that thing and much less hit anything with it. I told him to pick out A target down the trail and I'd show him how it would shoot. He picked out a softball sized rock we could both see about 100 to 125 yards down the trail on the upslope. Wasn't worried about hitting it, but knew I could scare the the heck out it and he would be impressed.
Drew down on the rock, raised her up a little and touched her off. Golly,geewiz(couldn't quote a Marine exactly on a family Forum)I think you hit it he said. We walked to the rock and I had hit it DEAD center!!! Of course I acted like no big deal. To reload, I run a spit soaked cleaning patch down the bore followed by a dry one. Poured the powder and cut the patch with my then patch knife, my K-Bar, as he watched. We wished each other luck and parted company, with him still shaking his head.
Later that afternoon, while setting beside a large fallen tree, a small 6 point came feeding out of a thicket to about 15 to 20 yards broadside. My little squirrel rifle had taken its first deer.
While checking my deer in at the checking station, the same Marine, who was turning his hunting pass in, saw me and my deer and came over and congragulate me. As he was looking at the deer he saw the hole behind the ear at the base of the scull, how far was all he said. My reply was, not like on the tank trail, couldn't have been more than 75 or 80 yards. He was still shaking his head while getting into his car.

 

[elk_chaser1]

That's easy. My second season hunting with the muzzleloader had me sitting at the top of a draw that was full of scrub oak and other thick stuff. My hunting partner was driving the ravine from below. I had a clear look through 180 degrees...nothing would get by without me seeing it. When my partner was about 30 yds. away, I stood up to make my presence known. Just then, I looked over to see a doe almost crawling to my left trying to look inconspicuous as she emerged from the undergrowth. She stopped for a second and then took off running out behind me. I whirled around and touched off my T/C white mountain carbine....shot was total instinct....and luck! Hit the deer at the base of the skull with a 350 gr. Maxi Hunter. The deer fell in a pile about 25 yads. from where I stood. My hunting buddy saw the whole thing...his jaw was hanging...and so was mine!

 

[swoter]

When I was about 20 about 20 years ago, I used to hunt squirrels with my .45 cva kentucky. Best shot was a squirrel about 30 yards away, hit it right in the throat. Never have repeated that and probably never will.