myfriendis410
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2006
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Steve and I were hunting on North Base (VAFB) last Thursday when he spotted a group of hogs down low, so we went down to investigate. We could not see them so back we went to our lookout and put the spotting scope on 'em. Sows and piglets. A whole BUNCH of piglets: little watermelon striped five pound footballs running around beating up on each other (it's fun to watch). I put my eye to the scope just when one hog stood up and walked away giving me a great look at his nuts. So, down we went to the bottom and got set up for a shot. Steve only had his muzzleloader so he decided to use my .300 win mag. The shot was 200 yards exactly: an easy shot with that rifle. This is where the wheels come off the track.....
"Steve, wear ear muffs". "Did I mention it has a 2 1/2 lb. trigger pull?" (I said) "Yeah, yeah!" (says Steve). SO, we get settled, he rips his ear muffs off 'cause they don't fit, he deploys his sticks, gets set, the shot is broadside and he takes the shot........
Several things happened at once: as soon as he touched the trigger, the gun went off. When the gun went off, the sticks collapsed. Then the sound reached his ears. Did I mention it has a muzzle brake? No? It does. Steve is now aware of that little factoid. He said it was like someone put a trash can over his head and beat it with a baseball bat.
Hard.
Well, the pigs run off. I watched the boar and his butt kinda swung around at the shot: maybe a paunch hit, maybe not. So we get over there (it's getting dark) and walk down to where the hog was. I looked down and saw a piece of fat. For those of you who don't know, that ain't a good sign. No blood. Steve heads down into the brush where they went in and found a big pile of entrails wrapped around a bush. Okay. We backed out of there and went back first thing in the morning.
Steve and I tracked that hog for 2 1/2 hours through the thick and nasty, including nettles and poison oak; much of it with Steve on his hands and knees. He did a fantastic job and finally found him under a bush. Hit him so low that he basically "unzipped" his belly. He bled out and had been dead for 12 hours, with no insult to the meat. He cleaned up beautifully. I'm guessing about 90-95 lbs., gutted.
Two lessons:
1: Steve shoots a 3 lb. pull: there's a BIG difference between 2 1/2 lbs. and 3 lbs.
2: Wear earmuffs around my gun! It's loud! I SAID, IT'S LOUD! STEVE, ARE YOU LISTENING? WHAT'S THAT, YOU SAY? YOUR EARS ARE RINGING?
"Steve, wear ear muffs". "Did I mention it has a 2 1/2 lb. trigger pull?" (I said) "Yeah, yeah!" (says Steve). SO, we get settled, he rips his ear muffs off 'cause they don't fit, he deploys his sticks, gets set, the shot is broadside and he takes the shot........
Several things happened at once: as soon as he touched the trigger, the gun went off. When the gun went off, the sticks collapsed. Then the sound reached his ears. Did I mention it has a muzzle brake? No? It does. Steve is now aware of that little factoid. He said it was like someone put a trash can over his head and beat it with a baseball bat.
Hard.
Well, the pigs run off. I watched the boar and his butt kinda swung around at the shot: maybe a paunch hit, maybe not. So we get over there (it's getting dark) and walk down to where the hog was. I looked down and saw a piece of fat. For those of you who don't know, that ain't a good sign. No blood. Steve heads down into the brush where they went in and found a big pile of entrails wrapped around a bush. Okay. We backed out of there and went back first thing in the morning.
Steve and I tracked that hog for 2 1/2 hours through the thick and nasty, including nettles and poison oak; much of it with Steve on his hands and knees. He did a fantastic job and finally found him under a bush. Hit him so low that he basically "unzipped" his belly. He bled out and had been dead for 12 hours, with no insult to the meat. He cleaned up beautifully. I'm guessing about 90-95 lbs., gutted.
Two lessons:
1: Steve shoots a 3 lb. pull: there's a BIG difference between 2 1/2 lbs. and 3 lbs.
2: Wear earmuffs around my gun! It's loud! I SAID, IT'S LOUD! STEVE, ARE YOU LISTENING? WHAT'S THAT, YOU SAY? YOUR EARS ARE RINGING?
