Why I do not take gun ownership litely

[Michiana]

Let me tell you why I take guns and gun ownership very seriously; back in 1959 I was almost an acompless in shooting a young kid and have never forgotten it. I was woodchuck hunting with my Uncle Tom in upstate NY. He shot at Camp Perry for the Navy and was a crack shot. We were up on top of a hill at a diary farm and had a bean bag rest set up on the hood of his car out in the field and he was shooting chucks across the valley, probably 5-600 yards using a Husqvarna 220 Swift.


He and I had each shot a chuck early in the morning and several hours had gone by without seeing another one. I was doing the spotting with a 30 power spotting scope and saw a brown furry thing moving which I pointed out to him. He zoomed in with his scope and studied the movement and said things just didn’t look right. I had been watching it in my telescope and it sure looked like a chuck to me. After several minutes he started whistling to see if he could get the chuck to stand up and all of a sudden two kids under ten years of age stood up, one wearing a Daniel Boone coon skin hat. This was a time period when Davy Crockett was big on the wonderful world of Disney (in black and white) and all young boys wanted their own Davy Crockett hat.

They had entered the field coming up a small revene and were sitting where only the top of the hat of the one kid showed to us from across the valley on the other farm. Both our hearts were pounding; thank God my uncle took the time to make 100% sure of the target or he would have taken the top of that kids head off for sure, he never missed a chuck all the times I hunted with him. I was fifteen years old at the time and that incident has stayed with me forever. To this day I wonder what if I was out there with a buddy my age chuck hunting; not with my Uncle; would I have taken that shot being all souped up to go hunting? Scary thought.

 

[GuyRelford]

If this story doesn't make any gun owner's heart pound, there's something wrong. You make a great point - and thank you so much for posting this.

 

[CVictor]

Thank You for taking the time to type that up, it's something everyone should read.

 

[esrice]

This really brings "know your target" into perspective.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Big John]

Michiana.

THANK YOU for sharing that, it reminds me of a bad experience too.

Imagine being that kid and somebody did take the shot, I and a great school friend went out with our Model 60s to do a little rabbit hunting(couldn't talk my dad into letting me use his shotgun). At about 10 10:30 am we hear a shot from the other side of my friends private woods about a second later I hear a bullet whistle past my head.

I don't recall but I do believe that a certain 12 year old pissed himself that day, for the longest time I would not go in the woods after that, to this day when I am in the woods and hear a shot of in the distance I flinch a little.

 

[Cygnus]

Thanks!

Kinda reminds me of the Sting song "I hung my head" with a better outcome

Of course it remnds me of the Johnny Cash cover it though!

 

[Mgderf]

My first year of deer hunting in Indiana, I was sitting in a stand about 15' above a well used path through a beautiful brier patch. On private property, and with permission.

This was back when all you could harvest was a buck.

10:30 in the morning, clear skies, no wind, and about 50 degrees. Almost perfect.

Landowner was also my boss at work, and warned me that there were horses on the property, and that shooting a horse would NOT bring the best of results!

All of a sudden there came a crashing noise through the undergrowth. I raised my Mossberg 500 and swung toward the noise. Seconds later a very nice doe appeared on the trail, and at a dead run.

I thought she was moving awfully fast, but was hoping to see a buck chasing her close behind.

The doe disappeared, and I swung the 12ga. back to the trail, when all of a sudden, a young man (20-25) burst out of the briers chasing the doe, and dressed in nothing but brown cover-alls, and carrying a video camera, NO ORANGE! He wasn't hunting, but I thought it was pretty stupid none the less.

Turned out, he "forgot" to call the landowner to let him know he'd be on the property that day, so I was under the assumption that I was alone in the woods.

There was another of his friends came out of the briers, not the path, also chasing the doe. I don't know why, as they were illegal to harvest at the time.

I came within a half second or so of putting a 1oz. slug through that boys cover-alls.

I have NEVER forgotten it either.

 

[stilllearning09]

Thanks for sharing your story. Gives a chill down the spine.

 

[VUPDblue]

Wow. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure that was scary.

 

[lovemywoods]

Would like some clarification

At about 10 10:30 am we hear a shot from the other side of my friends private woods about a second later I hear a bullet whistle past my head.

In your description above, are you describing one shot or were there multiple shots sent in your direction?

If one shot, you would have heard it whistle past your head and then heard the sound of the gunshot since most rounds are supersonic for much of their flight (the bullet is ahead of the sound).

 

[Michiana]

Not really

In your description above, are you describing one shot or were there multiple shots sent in your direction?

If one shot, you would have heard it whistle past your head and then heard the sound of the gunshot since most rounds are supersonic for much of their flight (the bullet is ahead of the sound).

Were it a .22 he heard they could be traveling around 500fps and the speed of sound is 1,180fps, therefore he would have heard the shot before the projectile reached him and a half second feels like a long time in that situation.

 

[esrice]

Were it a .22 he heard they could be traveling around 500fps

The only .22 I know of that travels 500fps would be an airgun. Most .22LR is in the 1,200-1,400 fps range.

 

[Chefcook]

I was once deer hunting In Pa. I was wearing probably 74% orange,(hat and jacket) I was sitting on a tree stump resting just before lunch time, when I heard something coming across the ravine cresting the ridge. It was an orange hat a guy walking slowly taking a few steps stopping and looking around then a few more steps etc. I saw him it was fairily clear no leaves on any of the trees pretty easy to see him. Then I saw him stop and crouch looking directly at me scrutinizing me. I thought WTF is he doin cant he see me sitting here plain as day eating my sardines. Then all at once very quickly he shouldered his rifle and shot directly at me hitting the stump right in-between my legs. I rolled over backwards and tossed my rifle ontop of the stump bench resting it to try and get a bead on him in my scope only to see him just disappearing over the ridge. I was shaking like a leaf I yelled after him for a moment and thought better of going after him. Unfortunately I was unable to get his license number off his license, but I was just happy to not be shot....

 

[Professor Thump]

I imagine your knees went weak after discovering that they were kids. It is scary just thinking about it.

 

[Big John]

In your description above, are you describing one shot or were there multiple shots sent in your direction?

If one shot, you would have heard it whistle past your head and then heard the sound of the gunshot since most rounds are supersonic for much of their flight (the bullet is ahead of the sound).

22 years ago I do not remember exactly I just know it scared the hell out of me. That is something you never expect.

I imagine it is the same for our boys and girls overseas but at least they kinda expect it, all I know is it permanently scarred a 12 year old kid.

It is weird since I am talking about it know I can almost relive that exact second I remember looking at Roger as we both just fell to the ground wonder if he is on here he was a big hunter/shooter. Roger C. if you are here its John R.

 

[lovemywoods]

Were it a .22 he heard they could be traveling around 500fps and the speed of sound is 1,180fps, therefore he would have heard the shot before the projectile reached him and a half second feels like a long time in that situation.

Good observation...and you're right!
I was thinking more about typical hunting rounds that start out much faster than the venerable .22. I missed that the poster did say he was using a model 60, thus a .22 round.

Most .22 rounds start their final journey around 1050-1200 ft/sec. I don't know their rate of deceleration. At 68 degrees F the speed of sound is 1124 ft/sec, very close to the bullet muzzle velocity.

If the kids were 1000 feet from the shooter, the sound would indeed reach them before the bullet. Assuming an average bullet speed of 850 ft/sec and a constant speed of sound, there would be a time interval of just less than 1/3 of a second.

OK, geek mode off!

 

[Michiana]

not really

The only .22 I know of that travels 500fps would be an airgun. Most .22LR is in the 1,200-1,400 fps range.

Regular 22's leave the barrel between 900-1200 fps but they end up at 0 at the end of the road, along the way they slow down as does any projectile. They just don't go full speed the entire trip and then just fall down to earth. Had this person shot at a squirrel the projectile would follow an arch till it falls to ground. I have heard and read that a 22 will go a mile so taking an average speed it will be less than the speed of sound along most of its trip. Maybe I am thinking wrong, if so educate me.


PS, lets talk about shorts: Many ammunition companies still produce .22 Shorts, and in a fairly wide variety. CCI makes several types: a CB Short with a 29 grain bullet at 727 ft/s (222 m/s), Target Shorts with a 29 grain bullet at 830 ft/s (250 m/s), their standard Short round with a 29 grain plated round nose bullet at 1,080 ft/s (330 m/s), and a high speed hunting load with a 27 grain plated hollow point bullet at 1,105 ft/s (337 m/s). Fiocchi makes their Exacta Compensated Super Match SM200 with a 29 grain lead round nose at 650 ft/s (200 m/s). Remington produces a high velocity plated 29 grain round nose at 1,095 ft/s (334 m/s). Aguila makes both a match round with a 29 grain lead bullet at 1,095 ft/s (334 m/s), and a "high speed" round with a 29 grain plated bullet, also at 1,095 ft/s (334 m/s). Also available is the fine RWS R25 match ammunition, which shoots a 29 grain bullet at 560 ft/s (170 m/s). Eley also makes their Rapid Fire Match cartridge, which shoots a 29 grain bullet at 750 ft/s (230 m/s).

 

[Buckhunter]

chase

I was once deer hunting In Pa. I was wearing probably 74% orange,(hat and jacket) I was sitting on a tree stump resting just before lunch time, when I heard something coming across the ravine cresting the ridge. It was an orange hat a guy walking slowly taking a few steps stopping and looking around then a few more steps etc. I saw him it was fairily clear no leaves on any of the trees pretty easy to see him. Then I saw him stop and crouch looking directly at me scrutinizing me. I thought WTF is he doin cant he see me sitting here plain as day eating my sardines. Then all at once very quickly he shouldered his rifle and shot directly at me hitting the stump right in-between my legs. I rolled over backwards and tossed my rifle ontop of the stump bench resting it to try and get a bead on him in my scope only to see him just disappearing over the ridge. I was shaking like a leaf I yelled after him for a moment and thought better of going after him. Unfortunately I was unable to get his license number off his license, but I was just happy to not be shot....

What the was this guy thinking??? I believe the chase would be on after that guy. Probably be a little weak in the knees though.

 

[Redskinsfan]

A good reminder for us hunters

Thanks for the good post. That story is a good safety reminder for us hunters.

Thanks,

Terry

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

All of it leaves my heart beating a little faster, and the mind stretching back to similar days... One does not forget the sound of a round whistling by. Apparently the good lord wants us here (for now) for a reason, gentlemen and ladies.