Something I like to call

[rossi_j 99]

The golden moment,

 

When the cross hairs steady into place and the whole world stops, only one thing matters, the path this pellet will take to its intended target.

When everything has fallen into place the last breath has been exhaled, everything is still and quiet filterd out by the mind and the cold feel of the trigger as you take in the first stage, visualising the precision strike about to commence.

Everything feels just right then CRACK,

the shot unfolds exactly as intended.

You remain peering through the scope for a further few seconds, drawing a well earned breath the world starts turning again.

 

A couple of weekends ago whilst out shooting with a good friend I spotted a rabbit oblivious to my aproach, this shot was tricky and could not be taken knelt or lying down, due to elevated ground between us it had to be a stander,

I shoulderd my rifle and steadied myself then it happend "the golden moment" CRACK!

The bunny tumbled with a twitch of the legg,

I paced the shot out, with every pace my smile grew and at 32 paces lay my prise with a neat trickle of blood from a shot perfect to the mm,

 

For the record this shot was well out of my comfort zone but everything just fell into place

 

Hope someone enjoys the read and sory about the spelling.

 

.atb. .ste.

[rossi_j 99]

Also if people would like to add any of there own golden moments to this thread that would be great .cheers guys. .ste.

[Phantom 631]

Nice read buddy

 

I call it "The Zone"

 

I've had a few, 2 bunnies with one shot was very memorable, but I think one of the most memorable shots I've taken was when I was ill.

 

Here's a copy and past of the original write up. (I'd link to it, but the pix were deleted by "Tiny-Pic"

 

 

I scanned the cemetery and there was no sign of any bunnies wanting to play with the shiney 16 grainers.

So I went back to the paddock, I saw that the Corvids were gone and there was one lone bunny at the far end of the paddock.

It was just laid there enjoying the sun light, about 5 feet from the public footpath and A63 duel carriage way.

 

Decided to give it a go, but bugs was a good 70 yards away from me, with the sun behind me and no cover, this was not going to be an easy stalk. I thought for a moment and came up with two options.

I could follow the fenceline to the end of the paddock and try to slowly move up to it, but that would expose me to all and sundry driving and walking past.

 

I made my mind up to use the second option. I would cross straight in front and hope that the bunny wouldn't bolt when it saw me. Another problem was that the wind was blowing from behind me directly towards the cotton tail.

I stopped three times to check if bugs was still there and he was. I passed my main Warren Marker and I looked towards bugs, he was still laid there and all of a sudden I had an idea for a bit of cover I had another marker, in the form of a very old traffic cone indicating the outer limit of my comfort zone from my favourite sniping point across the warrens.

Making my way across the field I made it to a point where the bunny was hidden by the cone and I crouched down and stalked ever closer.

I got to about 30 yards from the cone and cautiously dropped to the ground. I knew the bunny was only yards behind this cone and there was a perfect backstop behind the bunny in the form of a 6 inch wide fence post if I moved to the left.

If I'd moved to the right there would have been nothing to use as a safe backstop.

So moving with my feet and elbows I made my way to the left about 18 inches and lowering the bipods legs by two clicks so I could stay as low as possible.

 

The view through the scope was sweet, I was directly facing bugs and I could see, the fence post directly behind him, his nose was twitching but his ears were down and he seemed relaxed.

 

Placing the crosshair directly between the eyes; I brought my breathing under control, I blocked out the sound of the heavy traffic and as with all these face on shots it was just him and me, nothing else mattered I was in "the zone". First stage came to the end, I stopped my breathing just at the end of the exhale and let the shot go.

My concentration was so intense I saw the pellet impact against the bunnies forehead and I heard the crack.

Bugs didn't seem too bothered by what had just hit him, he just rolled over to his right and didn't even kick his legs.

 

 

Phantom

[rossi_j 99]

Hey phantom, thats a good write up mate, enjoyed that, there is a few similarities there aswel mate 'the zone' I like it

 

Need a bit more practace at writing to be honest, a few more write ups and I will get there.

.thanks phantom. .ste.

[Phantom 631]

Thanks Steve,

 

Thats only part of the original post, I just copied that particular part of the day.

 

Writing comes with practice, the more you do the better they become I enjoyed yours greatly

 

I'm unable to shoot again at the moment my fingers are cracking like there is no tomorrow (having to type with just the two middle fingers and thumb).

 

I have a feasable explanation for it now though at last!!!

Apparently it's caused by a lack of vitamin E and is made worse by the cold, so I need to get some more vitamins down my gullet!

The only problem with that is though, the ones I get on prescription make me feel ill 10min's after taking them and that lasts about an hour

 

Phantom

[rossi_j 99]

Just read them both again, the number of similaritys is mad, great minds phantom, great minds

Sory to hear about ur fingers, you should try keeping the rifle on your back as mutch as possible and those gel hand warmers in your pockets when you go out, thus reduceing exposure to cold, worth a try maybe??

Mate I cant type as fast as you with 8 fully functioning fingers and two thumbs lol

 

One finger typing from me

 

Will try and do a couple more write ups but I dont have a computer so its all on phone witch makes everything a pain in the ass and no chance of uploading photos

 

And incase you hadent noticed no spell check DOH! Lol

.atb. .ste.

[Phantom 631]

You do well for a phone,

 

It takes me ages to do a simple text on a phone and I can never get on with that predictive text thing

 

Take care

 

Phantom

[zini 1,939]

I enjoyed a nice moment last year while in an indoor range in Catterick while calibrating my hold over points and also teaching my, then 8 year old Dylan to shoot.

 

We had 2 tea spoon spinner targets set up and Id just finished calibrating at the 35 and 40 metre points.

 

The closest spinner to me was at 35 m and the furthest at 40 m.

 

Dylan asked me for a shot of my r10 off the bipod at the spinner target at 35 metres. I told him which mil dot to use and he set about lining up the target.

 

He squeezed the trigger and the first spoon went spinning around followed by a ting and the second 40 metre spinner spinning around too.

 

The ricco had perfectly hit the second 40 m spoon enabling Dylan to hit a perfect 35 and 40m target with 1 shot.

 

Boy I didn’t get the chance to live that one down.

 

Si

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

Hi Rossi.

 

Nothing wrong with your write ups at all mate, I realy enjoyed the read.

Your Golden Momment is nothing less than poetic buddy, heart felt and well writen

 

I had a Golden momment in Hanover ( Germany ) many years ago........but THATS another story

 

Excellent write up mate, SP in comming.

 

 

 

ATB.

 

 

 

Bill.

[rossi_j 99]

Hey si, sounds like he will have one over on you forever lol

 

Hey bill, glad you enjoyed it mate and thanks for your kind comments.

 

.atb guys. .ste.

[zini 1,939]

Yeah Ste i think that he does buddy

 

Still he hasn’t shot 2 bunnies with a springer straight after each other lased at the far end of the 50 metres very close to 60m from a standing unsupported position and witnessed by Mark Vining on here while he look the photos for me

 

Thats another story though

 

Si

Edited December 2, 2010 by zini

[pianoman 3,587]

I think, for me, it is a certain evening time, what I call the "Golden Hour" between 21:15 and 22:30pm on warm summer evenings on one of my permissions when the best sport of the day happens. That smell of the ripening corn and barley. I shot over this land as an 8-year old lad with my dear dad. Then took him out with the guns I aquired when I was home on leaves.

 

And now I take my young boy Josh and give him a taste of a decent kill with my rifle, as my dad did with his. Wouldn't allow it if he wasn't up to the shot, but he is. I have 40-odd rabbit and woodpidgeon shooting summers invested here around Kirk Smeaton's farmlands. One summer, I shot over 500 rats around the open sugar beet store with the HW80 .22 Standard rifle I still own, shoot and look after today.

 

It's my little bit of shooter's heaven. Memories gleaned of 40-odd years of freaky, lucky, long range,and just darn skillful shots, too many to list.

 

More than a few bloody silly close range sitters missed too

 

 

All the best to every one here with great memories of your own

 

Simon

[rossi_j 99]

Hey si, hes still got time to do it yet and im sure with your coaching he wil get there.

 

Hey simon, some good memorys there mate and some to come aswel, could almost smell the fields myself reading that.

.atb. .ste.

[pianoman 3,587]

Hi Steve. Thanks buddy. And a real thanks for posting up a nice thread. I had some quite lovely memories come back reading the posts the other lads have responded with. More than I could have room to write!

 

If you ever visit West Yorkshire mate I'd be delighted to take you out shooting on this, my favourite permission. The land is owned and farmed by a nice lad called Ian I went to school with. And he's the son and Grandson of the gentlemen my dad got the permission from originally! Quite a generational thing is shooting.

 

I'll get a whole bunch of pics of it posted up come the new year spring and summer.

 

Thanks for your kind response Steve.

 

Warmest regards.

 

Simon

[zini 1,939]

LOL Ste,

 

Yep he is already starting to scare me with his shooting .

 

The little dude has a natural skill and eye for shooting .

 

Hopefully he will keep at it and follow in my foot steps with the hunting hobby.

 

Great idea for a post as well buddy.

 

Si