Belts and Braces

corky

Well-Known Member
regarding 2 of the ongoing threads that are running here at present(Defender v Hilux v Navara+ Unbelieaable shots) has got me thinking particularly Willie Gunns response in unbelieavable shots thread.I do think that too many folk nowadays are getting carried away with themselves regarding calibres rifles scopes etc and the real business of shooting deer and foxes is second fiddle to having the best gear and taking the longest shots.I realised quite a while ago that though I would have liked the latest swarovski or the new @!"*magnum that was coming out would it make me do any better and I realised then that even though I couldnt afford them they wouldnt make me any more succesfull either as I was making the best out of what I had and I was working hard to ensure that every shot I took was going to be succesfull to the best of my abilities and all that meant was I made sure I knew my rifle would be zeroed correctly and I would get as close as I possibly could and then a bit closer and that philosophy is how I still use.My reasons for using a Defender are on the other thread,I use 243 Winchester and 308 Tikka m55 both with Meopta scopes I am back to using factory ammo on both as they both shoot that well with it why not and I dont have as much time to fanny about with reloading and most of the boys I go out with use 243 308 or 270 they all do the job and I average about 60 deer a year on ground that I shoot myself and when i,m shooting on there ground this could be the same number I shoot again (80%red)and we are all the same -factory rifles and ammo and a couple of the other boys are shooting quite a few more than me the only one that is into reloading and fancy scopes and long range shooting is the one that misses the most.I am happier having one good stalk and shooting one particular deer than taking a long shot succesfully and likewise at foxes I can easily be sitting out all night out in the high hills at a fox den for 4 or 5 nights before I get lucky (or not) and I have the greatest respect for a dog fox which constantly comes in to its cubs even though it knows somethings not right and more than once i,ve had to take my hat off to a fox that was just too smart for me out in the hills at lambing time it really is one on one and though I give it my best sometimes its just not good enough but at least I,ve got out there and tried and these long april/May nights always stick in my memory succesfull or not.Incidentally the best shot i,ve ever seen was a dog fox at a den on the 3rd night at it,we had been out since 8pm and at 3am when the dog came in 300 yards out keeking over a knoll on the very steep hill above us just as both battery packs were starting to fail and my mate shot it,shooting of our 2 rucksacks to gain enough angle for the shot just as the beam on lamp dwindled- a perfect head shot(thats all he could see) and I was concentrating on the fox so intently that the boom of the unsilenced 22/250 going of made me fall over and roll down the hill!Thats the kind of thing it should all be about no worrying about ballistics ,foot pounds etc
 
Good post but would have been much easier to read with a few paragraphs thrown in.
 
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