Youth Rifle .223 - Get Close - Recipe - Success

     If you have perused this blog a bit ......

     You might agree with me on the heavy gun thing.  You might agree light recoil helps accuracy.  If you have not perused my blog, please check out some of my earlier posts and note I have a recipe for all this:

    1.  Heavy gun, check,

    2.  Light recoil, check,

    3.  Bipod, check,

    4.  Light caliber - preferably a .223

    4.  The final ingredient is the most important - “If you think you are close enough, get much closer.”

   Here in Texas with deer blinds and bait, you have the perfect situation for accurate shot placement under hunting stress.  100 yards is pretty easy at the rifle range, on a bench, with a sandbag.  But hair and horns result in central nervous system overload.  So, cut it in half in the field.  Yup; 2 X 25, the mid-field stripe, 50 yards – maybe less!    Rig the deal my good man!   

     55 grain soft points pushing 3,000 fps create a delightful "POP" on impact.  They are quite convincing.  My son's first hog, right at 200 pounds, was not ballistically astute, had not considered a 55 grain bullet as too small.  He responded by sticking his feet up in the air.

3 months later we picked up his skull.  Notice the baseball sized chunk missing just left of his artistically applied eye. There are no chew marks, so this is not the result of an over zealous coyote wielding a Sawzall.

Our .223 has another nuance.   We call it, "The 1st gun" meaning:  If this is the first time you are hunting with us, we give you our Handi Rifle Ultra Varmint .223, the same one seen above.  WHEN you are successful, your name is permanently engraved on the stock.  Tipping the scales just under 10 pounds but she's "muscular" - but not "fat".  Recoil is almost non-existent contributing to a healthy blog roll.  This picture is dated. Three more names are on there now and we have a hunt coming up in the next couple weeks.

A little bullet in the right place beats a big bullet pulled due to pucker factor - every time.   (I highly recommend the H@R Handi Rifle Ultra Varmint!  It is offered in larger calibers's) - whatever gun you choose, take my recipe, liberally apply rule #4 - your success rate will skyrocket.

Hunting and fishing is the ultimate "green" experience.  Teach every kid you can find how to participate in the ecosystem.  Lord knows they get enough tree hugging propaganda out there.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Youth Hunting – Feral Hog – Shot Placement – Cheek Grenades

I realize Traditional Bowhunter printed a very similar article this week.  Hey, I am on a roll and decided to round it out for rifle wielding folks, here’s a tip for youth hunters that just might work for us old guys too!:

 

            Reality TV has taken hate to a new level.  Poor hogs, I guess it’s okay to hate some things. That is too bad!  This outdoor correspondent gets the giggles every time he can pursue them.  Think about this.  Our pork friends are available year around, they have no curfew, no season, and remain high in number; what could be better?  Significant behavioral problems – that’s what!           

            Anthromorphically, imagine a psychotherapist describing feral hog behavior as such:  “The subject is easily pre-occupied while showing no regard for other species in its daily activities.   Intensely self absorbed and moderately aggressive while seeking the presence of its own kind.  The hog is a peculiar case.   Of note, when confronted with a food source the subject exhibits A.D.H.D behavior.  Given this erratic combination of behavioral opportunities; the subject in not recommended for a traditional classroom setting.”  

            Moving on -

            Kids are literal.  An interesting thing happens when you describe a head shot as follows: “It’s easy kid.  Just shoot them in the head.”  Or what I used to say is more descriptive but apparently still confusing, “wait till they are broadside and shoot them right under the ear.”  The kid doesn’t really know which part of the head or “exactly how far below the ear?”  Coach them this way and you’ll get the Labrador retriever head tilt and the kid just goes along.  So, make it more concrete.  Tell them, “take a broadside shot.  Shoot them in the cheek.”   (Noted: if you coach kids to shoot a pig in the cheek, they will wait for a broadside shot because the cheek is on the side of the pig; handy.  Man I wish I was smart enough to have figured this out before making all those other mistakes!)

            Now on to rifle skills before we wrap this up:

            The typical new hunter (including adults) will lift their head at trigger pull looking over the scope for a neatly dispatched critter.  End result is high bullet impact or a pulled shot.  On the pig’s end of the deal, a squeal and missing parts followed by bulldozing into brush a fast moving rabbit would avoid.  They say mean things about your family too.   If you like adrenaline, it’s a hoot.  Try it at night with that dim flashlight we all own.  You know the one.

            Or shoot the cheek.  Here’s a picture I pulled off of biggamehunt.net.  A contributor named gknutson used this diagram to describe shot placement for archery.  I borrowed it with permission, then added the red lines to show the cheek shot I am recommending.

 

  

 Photo located at: www.biggamehunt.net/tips/hit-mark-feral-hogs

 

           What you have is a shot delivered to a large, lethal, area.  It is all bone.  Bone is good!  I know this is graphic but I am literal, just like the kids.  Bone turns into a grenade when your bullet arrives on target.  Anatomically, all the major arteries and spinal nerves funnel together here.  Sheer impact breaks the neck.  It is very humane.  Shots pulled high, previously discussed, result in direct brain impact and bone grenade scenario.

            End result – dirt nap.

            A .223 along with a kid is a great combination.  55 grain soft point, loud whop, you got pork.  Low recoil helps young hunters (and old guys) place that little pill in the bone/grenade area.  If you think it takes a .300 Weatherby Magnum to get this done.  Go for it.  That will work too.  But please do not give your .300 to a kid!!!!

            Go get yourself some hog hunting action.

             

 Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

TBM Tip of the Week - Go Low for Pork

 

Traditional Bowhunter accepted one of my favorite tips for all bowhunters.  This particular shot placement concept will help you acquire Jackrabbits, Mastadon's and everything in between .  (Man I wish they'd open up Mastadon season again!)

 

TBM Tip Of The Week - Go Low For Pork Sent Wednesday, May 4, 2011 View as plaintext

	TIP OF THE WEEK View this newsletter online  Go Low For Pork By Troy Fowler These days it is avant-garde to be a hog hater. TV shows, hunting message boards, tweets, blogs, you name it, tell us to "Kill 'em all." I don't agree. I am fond of the darn things. There are lots of hogs in my area and they can be hunted year around, and around the clock. In the spring they are bold and easy to stalk, and I really like chasing them with my longbow. I hope they never leave our ranch! That makes me a swine-loving contrarian...true, so true. This tip is about arrow placement on feral hogs. It's very simple--use a sharp broadhead and shoot the lower third area, as shown in photo. (Just between you and me, start shooting deer in the same place. It is very effective.) I found this great hog picture on a blog by Gknutson. I learned the grid concept from Cross Trail Outfitters chief, Mike Arnold, and I added the groovy red lines and dot showing the point of impact. So, my advice is to go low for pork. If the pig is quartering away, shoot the same area. Ideally the arrow will exit between the front legs. If you are shooting from an elevated position, shoot low but expect the arrow to stay in the pig. With their really short legs the broadhead hits the ground before the arrow can get all the way through the pig. After the shot, listen very carefully. I often hear a heavy gurgle and/or growling sound. That's your pig.     Troy Fowler writes about real, field tested, youth hunting and fishing solutions in his blog, Small Boy With Laugh Lines.        Comments on Traditional Bowhunting Mentors   Bill K. writes: Boy, did Mr. Cervantes story make a lot of you go back, as I did, on how and what we did when we started bowhunting? It has been a great road to travel and learn, just as Cervantes did. Many times we were flying by the seat of our pants and didn't really know what we were doing, but we learned or were lead by someone, as he was. Keep those types of stories coming.       What's New at Tradbow.com?   Dr. Ed Ashby has sent us his 2008 Study Update, Part 7. Read through the latest update and join the conversations in the Ashby Forum.         Celebrate Star Wars Day!   May the fourth be with you!             © 2011 TBM, Inc.  All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, but you may send this entire newsletter to a friend.   Reminders  Add Us To Your Address Book     To help ensure that you receive all email messages consistently in your inbox with images displayed, please add this address to your address book or contacts list:   webmaster@tradbow.com   Have a Question?       Don't hesitate to hit the reply button to any of the messages you receive.     Have a Topic Idea?       We'd love to hear it! Just reply any time and let us know what topics you'd like to know more about.   We also welcome tips, like this one, that you might want to share with others. Please email your tip and a photo or two to Robin at webmaster@tradbow.com.   Follow Us On   www.twitter.com/tradbow      How Would You Rate This Email?    Fantastic     Pretty Good    It's Okay    Not So Good    This email was sent to because you recently signed up for occasional messages from us at www.tradbow.com.

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Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Rifle Rest - Aimelss - Purpose - Pointless?

John Wayne can still swing two .44 caliber lever actions in circles, on horseback.  He is preserved on film.....many a bad guy falls to his shooting.  I have explored un-aided off hand shooting, the basic kind with feet set on Mother Earth.  My Choreographer is not as skilled as Mr. Wayne's. 

Alas, resting my rifles helps my score and one handed riflery is no longer sought for my bag of "man" tricks. 

Kids focus on results.   Trust me, you want results because kids need Midol when they miss.  Especially if the rifle is bouncing around with a case DT's before the shot.   In a typical blind or "hide" set up I suggest sand bags or your back pack.  Bed that gun down solid like you are cheating - Mr. Murphy has enough options you cannot control.

On our ranch in Texas, we participate in the aimless wander.  Before I continue, let me just say many people fail to address the wander correctly.  Wandering has subtle nuances.  There is the pointless wander - meaning you don't really care where you end up.  The meaningful wander - you are going to do something, somewhere but final destination many change.  Then there is the purposeful wander - you are going somewhere ending in a measurable result.  This one is known as chores.

The aimless wander has no destination, no clearly defined goals, but may become pointless if nothing happens or purposeful wander should a snake or crawdad is available.   At least that is the best way to wander.  Pigs and seasonal animals of pursuit are included in the "option" list while still retaining aimless status.

Aimlessly messing around with a water moccasin, in a place you weren't planning to end up, the distraction allows a sounder of feral hogs (the pinnacle of aimless wanderers) within 150 yards of your snake.  Your son's rifle upgrades you to a purposeful wander.   The 10 pound rifle offering minimal recoil is available (because you are smart and maybe I influenced you a bit) but you have no rifle rest.  Damn rules - forgot to tell you, a rifle rest is a purposeful part of being aimless but not pointless. 

Shooting sticks are a nice option, I made these after a norther turned my Double Bull blind into a sail.  Added a bit of duct tape, perfection.  We have wandered up on all kinds of critters and whacked them with these.

Should you have no extra fiberglass poles around, go to Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops and look for a Bi-Pod.  The unipods are okay, marketing literature is full color, tidy, and convincing.  I don't think the marketing team actually uses them - total crap.   Tripods are better than bipods.  The one below is a camera tripod.  I cut a piece of 3" PVC in half, and modified it to mount just like a camera.  (I'll post details of the assembly later on) It stays in the back of the truck for purposeful wanders begun aimlessly and brush blind hunting.  Notice how the gun just sits there, kid stands behind and it requires very little work.  It swivels as far as you can go.  This Model 700 ADL 30.06 is content.

Pointlessly aimless and all that has passed, it is time to wrap up.  What I have noticed using a bi-pod or tripod most people use the barrel as point of contact.  I had one of our cousins Caleb demonstrate stupid for us.  He was just following my advice......so, uh....?  This is the stupid way to do it - it causes misses.  Very simple - physics.  The gun is heavy in comparison to said youth hunter.  Said youth hunter tends to look up and drop the rifle at trigger pull - shot goes high because all the weight is behind the "rest".  (Adults do the same thing but just forget that because it isn't you - just other guys).

Rest the rifle on the balance point which is usually about the middle of the scope and you'll get accuracy!  If the gun leans a little barrel heavy - fine.

This is the way to do it.

The rifle is balanced and yes, the kid (or adult) may look up and all that.  We addressed Mr. Murphy earlier,

When you are playing "Bwana Gun Bearer".  Stand to the side, hang on to the bipod and cover your gun side ear.  I know it looks like yoga. 

This yoga move retains proper hearing and a secondary benefit.  You will often hear the bullet hit the animal with your off side ear.  It is a delightful "POP"ing sound.  Not covering your ear gives you a reason to avoid conversations at home....for a few days.

In closing, remember to purposefully take the essentials for being aimless.  Rest the rifle in the middle and get close.  You will get results.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Youth Hunting - Rant - Complain - Fat Southerners

I promise not to do this too often.

But today is a "Special" day where I feel fiesty.  I am going to point the finger at the outdoor industry as a whole.  Why on this good green Earth are there no hunting and fishing shows or print articles focused on youth?   Why do MOST of the outdoorsmen and magazines all say "Take a kid fishing or hunting!" 

Like we're all supposed to do it.

Then they produce a whole year of content with NO KIDS.  As you well know, we have plenthora of fat, southern, camo clad, chin bearded yuckity, yucks out there encouraging us to do what they won't.  (Maybe I should get fat and grow facial hair - then people would listen to me!!!)

 

Yes, there are kid pictures in some of the print stuff - that's about it. 

Here's food for thought.  Apple puts their computers in every school possible.  Interestingly as I travel for my real job, I see more than half the young professionals (say under 30) dragging around a Mac.  It's called planning for the future, building a customer base, brainwashing is the 60's way to say it.

 

Oh, and by the way.  If one of you outdoor personalities, manufacturer's, or sales reps thinks putting kids on TV and in print is a good idea.

Forget that.

They are web, blog, you tube, and social media focused.  Print is going to die, TV has too many channels and in 10 years will evolve.  Why wait for TV when you pick and choose video clips on the web.  Your target market is also dying off - literally.   Follow my blog and holler at me sometime, I have some ideas to reach out to the youth hunting and fishing world.

Maybe those folks at Apple computer know what they're doing?

 

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME