How do you feel....

devonoak

Well-Known Member
....when it's in the sights?
The reason I ask this is because of a conversation I had with my son today. I know people shoot for lots of different reasons, plus man has always been a hunter/gatherer by trade as it were. My 13 year old is bringing stuff back for the pot these days and we were talking about the feeling one has when a deer is in the sights. Personally I'm a lot calmer and steadier than I am when zeroing- yeah I can stick them in the target but with lots of fannying around. When there's a deer in the sights a calmness descends because it has to go right. Maybe thats a response to the adrenaline? I know some people who shake ...... how do you feel?
 
I am pants at zeroing, I have in the past used 20 rounds to get it bang on, an expencive pastime unless you have a military chambered rifle. I find that I just get more and more aggitated with the whole thing.

When I have my cross hair on the mark on the Deer, I am calm, but the build up to and getting into position is an adrenalin filled moment, the expectation of what's hopefully about to happen.

I do feel comfortable with my ability and equipment to feel confident that when I pull the trigger, the shot will be placed where I had the cross hair and intended it to go. I have in the past injured and not retreived the wounded,but that was down to bad placement (sleepless night had that time) I have also shot and cleanly missed (Rushing the shot). But knowing that I have to take a life of a stunning animal brings a sense of calmness to me to ensure I do the upmost to do the job and do it right.

So to answer your question, I am calm to take the shot, but the 1 or 2 or 30 mins build up from spotting the Deer and getting into position is where I am an adrenalin junkie, shaking and heart beating twice the normal rate.

TJ
 
....when it's in the sights?
The reason I ask this is because of a conversation I had with my son today. I know people shoot for lots of different reasons, plus man has always been a hunter/gatherer by trade as it were. My 13 year old is bringing stuff back for the pot these days and we were talking about the feeling one has when a deer is in the sights. Personally I'm a lot calmer and steadier than I am when zeroing- yeah I can stick them in the target but with lots of fannying around. When there's a deer in the sights a calmness descends because it has to go right. Maybe thats a response to the adrenaline? I know some people who shake ...... how do you feel?
Hi must say to being alot calmer when out stalking deer and taking the shot,i do think this comes with experience,however target shooting /zeroing always ends up in a pyschological competition as most targeting is done with friends therefore the pressure of the best shot applies
 
No probs zeroing or taking rabbits heads off at a hundred yds but still find it battle against the adrenalin sometimes when there is a good buck in my sights just learnt to deal with it and calm myself down enough before taking the shot,quick shots are better and then get a real rush of adrenalin normally have a sit down and a fag if it hasn't gone anywhere before i gralloch.
Neil.
 
I hate target shooting.
Stiil get that twist of excitement in my guts when the deer show or the lamp touches a fox.
Always said when that stops I sell the guns
 
I don`t think there are many that don`t feel the adrenaline rush while the stalk is on and even after the shot.
Never saw loads of deer on my permissions so prior to pulling the trigger, my last thoughts were "Do i need to kill it"
It`s a great feeling after a hard stalk and a deer on the grass but it`s also a great feeling to put the safety back on and watch the deer walk away.
basil.
 
got to be honest heart pumps a lot and the breathing increases when shooting.
if i dont think about it or dont have the time to think about it i am ok.
i once shot a deer with a guy lieing on top of my back as a spotter and he couldnt believe how much i was shaking...

i hope that i never loose the adrenaline rush. thats nature.

atb f.
 
....when it's in the sights?
The reason I ask this is because of a conversation I had with my son today. I know people shoot for lots of different reasons, plus man has always been a hunter/gatherer by trade as it were. My 13 year old is bringing stuff back for the pot these days and we were talking about the feeling one has when a deer is in the sights. Personally I'm a lot calmer and steadier than I am when zeroing- yeah I can stick them in the target but with lots of fannying around. When there's a deer in the sights a calmness descends because it has to go right. Maybe thats a response to the adrenaline? I know some people who shake ...... how do you feel?

No time tonight to answer your question but its bloody nice to hear that your boy is hunting and that you talk about this sort of thing. I have no children and, to be honest, I often find myself being critical and cynical about the youngsters that I come across for one reason or another. This sort of thing renews the faith. good luck to you both. JC
 
...I still get an adrenaline surge - and I have to say, it's pretty much the same kind of feeling irrespective of whether it's a rat or a red!!:eek:

I can feel the blood pounding through my ears, and sometimes it sounds so loud from the inside I'm wondering why it doesn't cause everything in the county to bugger off!!:D

Glad to hear that your 13-yr old is so keen; my 12-yr old son is the same. Mad keen. We were out whacking rats with air-rifles last week, decoying pigeons on Saturday, and he's mithering to come out foxing with us......Hopefully another one to restore a little more faith JC275!

ATB,

Merlin
 
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My lad can't stay quiet for long enough yet :rolleyes: he's only 7 but eager to come along.

I can't wait until I can share the experience with him, my Dad wasn't a shooter but my Grandad was and it was him that taught me the basics.... like a scene from a worthers original advert.
 
Please don't take this as a criticism, but personally I cannot see the difference between being able to hit the mark on a target or on an animal. I accept that shooting in a competition environment may put added pressure on us to the detriment of our grouping, but if on your own in a field and faced with shooting a group at a target to check or re-zero, why get worked up over it?

How about trying shooting at a life-size picture of a fox or Roe if that is the case instead of a cross or target? Stick a small piece of bright tape an inch square on the shoulder area or where-ever your preferred aiming point is and just blank it out with the cross hairs. It may surprise you on how much easier you find it.

This is just a suggestion and not one I have ever tried.
 
If I could fully describe the feeling that many hunters get, when the final moves have been made & the squeeze is next,I think I would have the answer to the unanswerable, ........................ if you get what I mean!:cool:
 
Please don't take this as a criticism, but personally I cannot see the difference between being able to hit the mark on a target or on an animal. I accept that shooting in a competition environment may put added pressure on us to the detriment of our grouping, but if on your own in a field and faced with shooting a group at a target to check or re-zero, why get worked up over it?

How about trying shooting at a life-size picture of a fox or Roe if that is the case instead of a cross or target? Stick a small piece of bright tape an inch square on the shoulder area or where-ever your preferred aiming point is and just blank it out with the cross hairs. It may surprise you on how much easier you find it.

This is just a suggestion and not one I have ever tried.
Jamross

Just to clarify, I don't get nervous zeroing in (almost always do it alone anyway) - it's just a different thing altogether, from my perspective. Easier to get barrel twitch etc as there's no chance of the target running away...or something! I think what I was saying was that I'm not very good at it! Maybe this means I'm no good fullstop but what I was getting at was that I have a different kind of focus altogether when aiming at live quarry.
Tom
 
View attachment 2529

This was the first ever group my eldest son shot with my .243AI . The tape is 3/4'' electrical. The rifle is not fitted with a moderator and it was 2 months after he turned 9. He was wearing ear defenders.

The first shot he fired caused him to burst into tears because he 'thought' it was going to hurt him! When he realised it was not sore he was desperate to fire it again! His immediate reaction after that was 'can I go and shoot a deer now?'

The concentration etched on his face was incredible and yet I have no doubt if it had been a deer he would have been flapping all over the place.

I suppose you are correct when you say, that you kind of tune into the 'moment' just before shooting at live quarry because you know the seriousness and importance of what you are about to do. To a 9 year old boy shooting/aiming at the target and trying to hit the cross was probably the be all and end all of his short career so far.
 
Please don't take this as a criticism, but personally I cannot see the difference between being able to hit the mark on a target or on an animal. I accept that shooting in a competition environment may put added pressure on us to the detriment of our grouping, but if on your own in a field and faced with shooting a group at a target to check or re-zero, why get worked up over it?

How about trying shooting at a life-size picture of a fox or Roe if that is the case instead of a cross or target? Stick a small piece of bright tape an inch square on the shoulder area or where-ever your preferred aiming point is and just blank it out with the cross hairs. It may surprise you on how much easier you find it.

This is just a suggestion and not one I have ever tried.
People tend to dwell on targets cos they want 2mm group at 5000000 yards.
 
People tend to dwell on targets cos they want 2mm group at 5000000 yards.

Can be guilty of that myself sometimes.:lol: To the point I have to go back and load up another couple of dozen on a bad day. Yet if I shot the above group it would be more than adequate to go and stalk deer. I suppose it comes down to the 'best' group you have shot and then you try to emulate it every time. Never going to work. Good fun blasting them off though;)
 
Jamross

Just to clarify, I don't get nervous zeroing in (almost always do it alone anyway) - it's just a different thing altogether, from my perspective. Easier to get barrel twitch etc as there's no chance of the target running away...or something! I think what I was saying was that I'm not very good at it! Maybe this means I'm no good fullstop but what I was getting at was that I have a different kind of focus altogether when aiming at live quarry.
Tom

I see your point. The first time I let the kids shoot the .22 rimfire at empty cans they were ok at it but got bored quite quickly. I drew a huge rabbit face on the board and they did not want to go home! Were even telling me where they were going to hit it! Ear, nose, tooth...

I'll have to stop that obviously when they are older:lol:
 
Can be guilty of that myself sometimes.:lol: To the point I have to go back and load up another couple of dozen on a bad day. Yet if I shot the above group it would be more than adequate to go and stalk deer. I suppose it comes down to the 'best' group you have shot and then you try to emulate it every time. Never going to work. Good fun blasting them off though;)
if i shoot a 2 inch group at 1 inch high @100yds I'm happy, that's a dead anything
 
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