Sorry, no pics of me working on the plumbing. I'm talking about a different type of crack shot. My Dad always claimed I was a natural with a shotgun. At one time I was a hell of a shot with a .22 rifle. Never in all my days could I compare to Julie's skill with a rifle. This girl is a crack shot.
We went out hunting yesterday. Julie isn't cleared for a shotgun yet, so she carried my grandfather's old Winchester bolt action .22 long rifle. I sighted it in last fall with Remington YellowJackets. It is topped with a variable power Weaver scope. Out of all of the .22 rifles I have, it is by far the most consistent across all ammunition. But the rifle is just the start.
Trying to hit a squirrel in the head is one heck of a challenge. You must be able to hold sub-MOA accuracy while shooting in field conditions. You have to be able to acquire a target in seconds. You also have to wait until you have a good backdrop. A .22 bullet can sail two miles on an errant shot. The undergrowth has a lot of beech trees, which obscure the views. While they were a beautiful golden color, they were also in the way.
We hunted the 25-acre woods on sunday. We have occasionally taken fox squirrels there. The norm is grays, by a factor of about 20 to 1. Gray squirrels are far more "squirrely" than fox squirrels. Gray squirrels move very quickly through the trees, seldom if ever pausing. They don't like to spend a lot of time on the ground. Fox squirrels move fairly slowly by comparison.
I tell you all of this, in case you haven't tried hunting squirrels with a rifle before. I have. It is not easy and I am not good at it. I sat us down in the middle of a tree rat superhighway. We each saw at least 4 squirrels within the first half hour, while facing in different directions. Had I had a shotgun, I could have taken each one of them. With a rifle, I went home empty handed.
She fired twice and took home two squirrels. Both were head shots. The first was on a squirrel that was probably a September baby. It was a couple inches shorter overall than a typical gray. Her target couldn't have been larger than a nickel. The other was, I swear, 75 yards away. Shot placement was just under the ear - a perfect placement. Shooting sticks? No. Holding against a tree? No. She was sitting on the ground, bracing her elbows on her knees.
I don't know how she does it. I think she should change her middle name to Annie.
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12 comments:
You go Julie! Sounds like some good shooting.
Good shootin'!
Man, I miss hunting bushytails! I spent many, many hours of my earlier years, from youth through early adulthood, sitting in a hardwood bottom, or on the edge of a swamp with the .22 or 20ga in my lap.
Not only is it great for the marksmanship, they're also awesome on the table.
Sounds like the girl is showing the guy up.
Don't worry it happens to me all the time!
Oh Andy! I just got the title and the first sentence. I laughed so hard my co-workers were looking at me funny.
Julie, you're my hero!
I haven't hunted squirrels yet, but I hope to, because they're yummy.
Nice work!
I really enjoy squirrel hunting, and was not about to let my not being able to shoot a shot gun yet to stop me! I learned how to shoot with a shot gun, but really like using a rifle. I just feel more comfortable with a rifle. With a shot gun you just point and shoot, but with a rifle you actually have to aim. I don’t own my own rifle yet, but Andy is sweet enough to let me use his. I haven’t decided if I will get a rifle or a bow first. With Andy letting me use his rifle I probably will get a bow first. We will see.
Andy failed to mention that we were sitting on opposite sides of a tree and I had a squirrel sighted in and ready to pull the trigger but he shot at one seconds before I did and it scared mine off. I also had one in my sights when he decided to change positions. It was hard not to get mad, but I enjoy hunting together, and I am sure I have done the same thing to him before. Especially when I was just learning to hunt last year. I had a hard time sitting still, but he was very patient with me. I can’t thank him enough for all that he has taught me about hunting. It is wonderful to have someone to go hunting with.
Hi Kristine, I'm glad you had a good laugh. My humor is sometimes on the subtle side.
Phillip. you're right about the practice part. That is why I ultimately ended up carrying a rifle.
Yep Arthur, I got schooled. I need to take Julie to the range so I can pick up a few pointers.
Cazadora, thanks for stopping by. You might ask around among your friends and family for a rifle to borrow. Rimfire rifles are very common for people to own, so you might just be able to borrow one.
Julie, that was an unusual morning. I can't remember a time where I have been in the middle of so many squirrels. I guess the moral of the story is... If you're going to shoot first, don't miss!
Good going, Julie! Squirrels are a great way to sharpen your hunting and shooting skills. We have hundreds of the pesky buggers at Camp but I don't eat squirrel so I pretty much leave them be.
Hey, haven't heard much from you guys lately? Hope all is well on the Andy and Julie show!
I also want to do this one day Julie. I have a .22 rifle and it's just finding the time. Good shooting Julie! Hope you guys are doing OK....
c'mon Andy
I know just what you are talking about! I learned to shoot using a .22LR in the Ozarks of Arkansas and squirrel was the most common target! We had many more fox than grey there.
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