SIGforum.com    Main Page  Hop To Forum Categories  Mason's Rifle Room    What was your best rifle shot? Tell the tale!
Page 1 2 3 
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
What was your best rifle shot? Tell the tale! Login/Join 
Member
posted
I have no doubt we have some exceptional shooters here on SF. So lets hear about your best shot. Don't be shy!
I will start:
When I was stationed at K.I. Sawyer, I bought a Ruger 10-22 and slapped a Bushnell 4X on it. I would walk a railroad track on the Sands Plain and use the Ruger to shoot ground squirrels. Good fun and great practice. I was sitting on the rail eating lunch and looked down the track. A ground squirrel had jumped up on the rail and was running down it, away from me. I followed his progress through the scope until he stopped a long way away from me and stood up on his hind legs to look around. I aimed over him to compensate for distance and shot. He disappeared. I thought I missed him and finished my lunch. As I was leaving the area. I found Mr. Squirrel lying on the track bed, shot cleanly through both eyes! I paced off the distance. 130 yards. Luck? Maybe. And like all such fantastic shots, it was unwitnessed. I have made some other long distance shots, but they were made with much better artillery than the 10-22.
So... Lets hear about some great shots!


End of Earth: 2 Miles
Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
 
Posts: 16070 | Location: Marquette MI | Registered: July 08, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Go ahead punk, make my day
posted Hide Post
Not my shot, but I personally witnessed the event.

I was in my teens with a friend on some 20-ish acres on their property. They had a large, round fish pond and we had a pellet gun (which I had) and a BB gun (which he had). We'd been screwing around all day, shooting trees, targets, random stuff. We had swapped rifles several times but I had the pellet gun and he had a BB gun - probably some kind of Crossman or something common in the late 80s.

We had set upon the pond and started shooting at things. It was summertime so there were many dragon flies and other bugs around.

My buddy spied a dragonfly land upon a flat round about 20 yard away, along the curved edge of the pond. He called the shot in some fashion (we were playing some sort of call your shot game - pick the target, shoot, then see if the other one could hit it - especially if you missed), then fired once and the dragonfly kind of flopped to it's side.

We were both amazed and ran over to the site of the kill. The single BB had hit the body of the insect and clipped it's left pair of wings off.

That gun was about as accurate as you'd expect for a cheap 22 of the era - ie, not very accurate - although we shot it a lot and we knew how it tended to shoot - but we both agreed it was "one in a million shot".

I know we both tried it again that afternoon and never again came remotely close to a dragonfly. And if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, real time, I wouldn't believe it.
 
Posts: 45798 | Registered: July 12, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
Nice 10 point whitetail at 75 yds through the trees with "time constraints". He turned and ran deeper into the woods towards my brother. Lee shot him nice through the lungs and he went down. I trailed him up and we had each hit him nice, but from opposite sides. Shared the taxidermy fee too. Open sighted muzzleloader.


"The days are stacked against what we think we are." Jim Harrison
 
Posts: 1120 | Location: Ann Arbor | Registered: September 07, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Get my pies
outta the oven!

Picture of PASig
posted Hide Post
My first deer I ever shot was about a 180 yard shot across a large field and into the treeline where the deer was.

Savage 7mm-08


 
Posts: 33769 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: November 12, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Go ahead punk, make my day
posted Hide Post
My personal example was shooting 4 hogs in 29 seconds at ranges of 20-75 yards - the first & kill was at a stationary target, the following were on moving targets, all for hits. SCAR 16 suppressed with 62gr OTM. First 3 shots were off the trunk of a car, then I moved forward to a tree for the remaining shots, to keep sight of the bastards and manage considerable safe lane of fire issues (successfully).
 
Posts: 45798 | Registered: July 12, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
E Pluribus Unum
Picture of JRC
posted Hide Post
I once shot two deer, a yearling doe and buck (I had tags for both), with one shot.

140 yards out, they were standing one behind the other in near silhouette. Lung shot both.

.280 Rem Big Grin
 
Posts: 1407 | Location: Minnesota | Registered: March 05, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of maladat
posted Hide Post
This past turkey season.

Having two little kids, I don't get a lot of hunting time, so I try to make the most of the opportunities I have.

I was out driving around and saw two turkeys at a feeder in the middle of a long rectangular field I was at one end of. I walked quickly around the perimeter of the field, far enough behind the trees that the turkeys couldn't see me. When I got approximately even with were the turkeys were, I moved in to the edge of the field, but I had taken long enough getting there that the turkeys had left the feeder and we're moving to the far end of the field. I backed away from the field, jogged another 100 yards along the side, then snuck back through the trees to the fence.

The two turkeys were getting very close to the far corner of the field, about 175 yards away. I flipped my bipod down and laid down right behind the fence, snuggled up to my rifle, and lined up on the turkeys. The larger turkey paused for a moment about 10 feet from the treeline, and I pulled the trigger.

I had underestimated the distance (didn't have my rangefinder with me) and I tend to shoot turkeys towards the base of the neck, so my shot was slightly low and tore up the top part of one breast, but the bullet went right through the turkey's spine and the bird was dead instantly.

Despite the elevation error, that is by far the most precise shot I have tried to make where I had to set up, wait, and then break the shot at a moment dictated by the target (when the turkey paused on its way out of the field) rather than waiting for the shot to feel perfect on my end. Any more than an inch to either side and I'd only have hit feathers.
 
Posts: 6319 | Location: CA | Registered: January 24, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Expert308
posted Hide Post
When I was a teenager we would take camping or day trips out to the Sun River in Montana. Dad would stand upriver and throw sticks into the water, and my brother and I would take turns shooting at them as they drifted by with a Marlin 39. So one day we were getting ready to pack up and go home, it was my turn on the rifle, and I had one round left. Dad tossed in another stick and I drew a careful bead on it and fired. I hit it and broke the stick in half. The truth was, I pulled the shot a tad high and I knew it. BUT, the stick happened to catch a whitecap at just the right time which lifted the stick up right into the bullet's path. Naturally, I kept my mouth shut and just let everybody think I was a genius with the rifle.
 
Posts: 7262 | Location: Idaho | Registered: February 12, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of P250UA5
posted Hide Post
A coached X-ring at 1k, having never shot further than about 130yds.
NikonUser called the wind for me, while I was behind his F-TR rifle. Have the target somewhere at the house.




The Enemy's gate is down.
 
Posts: 15285 | Location: Spring, TX | Registered: July 11, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Security Sage
Picture of striker1
posted Hide Post
In the 80s, with a Savage 270, Leupold scope, shot a 5" plate almost dead center at ~ 300 yards.

Had help walking it in, to be fair.



RB

Cancer fighter (Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma) since 2009, now fighting Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.


 
Posts: 7133 | Location: Michiana | Registered: March 01, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Savor the limelight
posted Hide Post
Winchester Model 94 Trapper in 44 Magnum with Williams Peep Sight. Black 125lb hog running fill bore at dusk, 40 yards away and crossing my path. The hog had a white spot on its snout which I was able to see through the sights. Aimed for the snout, pulled the trigger, hit him in the shoulder and lungs. I had never even shot at a moving target before.
 
Posts: 10913 | Location: SWFL | Registered: October 10, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Not Today
Picture of badcopnodonut!!
posted Hide Post
I was calling coyotes at a friends place. She had mentioned that she and her husband were both tired of losing pets to the coyote population and I was welcome to give it a go. Yes, thank you, I’d be happy to oblige.

I set up in a freshly shorn hayfield and placed my fox pro about 75 yds out. I forced a stick into the hard ground and placed about a foot of toilet paper to the stick. The smallest of breezes will make the tp flutter and catch the coyotes attention.

After a few minutes of fighting coon sounds a yote came trotting in from my left to right, quartering away from me on a beeline to the call.

When the sly dog paused for a moment I let him have it right behind his shoulder with my ar15 in 5.56. He spun in a circle, biting at whatever jump up and nailed nipped him.

It should have been over right there but the coyote had other ideas. He was off like a rocket towards a heavy stand of CRP grass. If he made it I’d likely never recover him. When I brought the rifle up to my shoulder, the red dot from the Leupold VXR 1x4 was right between his ears. Since he had the courtesy to run directly away when I squeezed the the trigger the bullet caught him dead center at the base of the skull.

Watching him slide to a stop was my finest moment behind a scope.


________________________



Hi,I'm Buck Melonoma,Moley Russels' wart.
 
Posts: 2926 | Location: sunflower state | Registered: January 31, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
At my very first long range match, the ITRC in WY. A stage near the end of a long field coarse with a 10" x 10" target at 960 yards. Unknown range (until the RO told me after the stage). At the time I only had a leica 1200 range finder, it was mid day bright sun and the taget was in the middle of a freshly plowed field that was very flat. I could not get a range on it to save my life, and at the time I did not know how to reticle range. I was shooting a 308 with 155 scenars at 2950ish so not particularly flat. I had to fire two shots at the target as the rules required it. I do not remember what my original range guess was, but it was way short. Neither my spotter or I had any clue how much I needed to come up because all we saw was a cloud of dust in front of the target, it could have been half way between for all we knew. AS we where discussing what to do about my next shot a herd of antelope who where near the target wandered in close to the target and the RO called a time out. After about 10 minutes the RO instructed me to fire a shot well "behind" the antelopes in order to flush them off the target. I did as instructed and was able to get an better read on the range and dialed in some more elevation, (I can't remember how much, I think a couple of Mil). I settled in on the target, held off my wind guess and a little more elevation and broke the shot. Got a solid hit. Immediately dropped the magazine and showed clear to the RO in preperation to move to the next stage. The Ro asks why I did not take another shot after nailing it on my second attempt, the rules allowed up to 2 scoring hits on each target, and you could shoot as many times as you like, but each hit was worth 40 and each miss cost 20. I was up 20 on that target and was not confident I could hit it again so I called it a win and smiled. Even with all the matches I have shot, and all the first round hits or clean stages I have ever had, that single lick and a prayer shot that through dumb luck scored a hit still sticks in my mind as my greatest shot ever. When I look back and know now what I did not know then I can only shake my head. Occasionally a blind dog finds a bone.
 
Posts: 1795 | Location: Spokane, WA | Registered: June 23, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
"Member"
Picture of cas
posted Hide Post
I head shot a young woodchuck at just under 100 yards, standing off hand, up a steep hillside, with a No.4 Mk1 Enfield and a round of 1934 surplus ammo.

I shot him in the head because that's all I could see.

Location, position and equipment is what made that so remarkable. lol



(and then I eat him) Wink


_____________________________________________________
Sliced bread, the greatest thing since the 1911.

 
Posts: 21097 | Location: 18th & Fairfax  | Registered: May 17, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of TRshootem
posted Hide Post
We regularly shoot PD's and ground squirrels out past 300 yds. On this particular outing I had my 16" 300 BLK carbine along and decided to take a wack at some ground squirrels from the drivers seat. A lone target, half out of his hole, ranged 167 yds. Settled the cross hair and sent a hand load of 110 gr Vmax, first kill with the new build. Smile
 
Posts: 1320 | Location: Montana | Registered: October 20, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
I never really think about best, just work to reduce the spread. But I think this is the most satisfying shots I've had. I recently was at the range and I went down range to evaluate and measure some targets. Occasionally in the grass at the range there are ticks. I hate ticks there are a number of reasons but mostly its that I've been very sick on a couple of occasions due to tick diseases. Let me mention again I hate ticks.
So I see a tick on my pants. I use a target paster (these ones are .5" circles) to attach the tick to the target. I go back to the firing line not thinking much about it as I expect the tick to expire from lack of moisture sometime in the future. I fire a 3 rd group. Literally there is nothing left of the paster. Best group I have ever shot. And one of the most satisfying.


“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.”
 
Posts: 10996 | Registered: October 14, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
My former In-Laws had a horse farm. It was infested with Ground Hogs (woodchucks) to the point that their burrowing was undermining the foundations of several buildings on the property. One small shed had actually collapsed from the digging. Using a Marlin Stainless .22 Magnum with a 3 X 9 and a 6 inch, handgun scope equipped Ruger .32 H&R Magnum, I decided to put a stop to the damage. Over the course of a summer, I got every one of them. Most were easy to get as long as I was patient. Except one. He was very large and had lots of silver fur around his face. This made me think that he was the patriarch of the group. He apparently watched me work through the other GHs. I noticed that he often watched me walk around the property and never hid. Unless I had the Marlin. Then he would disappear. I could never get close enough to him to use the Ruger. This went on for a while until one evening after dark, I put the Marlin behind a tree by my shooting position and left it. The next morning, we played the game. I casually walked around the property without the rifle and he watched me. I sat down with my back against the tree. He stood up on hind legs and watched me but for some reason got distracted and turned away. I snatched the Marlin and X ringed him.
Still on hind legs, he turned to face me. I swear his face registered a shocked look. He then did a John Wayne worthy act, staggering back and forth before collapsing.
Not a particularly great shot. 80 yards. But very satisfying. Man vs. Varmint. Man Triumphs! I don't take trophy photos usually, but I posed with Grand Dad Ground Hog and the Marlin for this occasion. The photo is still on my refrigerator.


End of Earth: 2 Miles
Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
 
Posts: 16070 | Location: Marquette MI | Registered: July 08, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Rule #1: Use enough gun
Picture of Bigboreshooter
posted Hide Post
My first trip to Africa was on a plains game hunt in Namibia. It was a hunt-of-a-lifetime for me. I had a 35 Whelen built for the hunt about a year before my trip. I then spent that year working on various handload combinations, and finally settled on a stout load with 250gr Nosler Partitions.

When we arrived, I fired one shot to check the scope's zero. I then used that rifle to make six one-shot kills at ranges of 40-240 yards on 1 kudu, 1 warthog, 2 hartebeest, and 2 gemsbok. Before the hunt was over, the PH tried to buy the rifle from me to use on buffalo. It was very satisfying to have my rifle/ammo combo work so well.

P.S. - I used that same rifle/ammo combo in Colorado the following year to take the only bull elk I've ever killed at just over 400 yards.



When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. Luke 11:21


"Every nation in every region now has a decision to make.
Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." -- George W. Bush

 
Posts: 14826 | Location: Birmingham, Alabama | Registered: February 25, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Sigforum K9 handler
Picture of jljones
posted Hide Post
When I was 19 I did a guy in Laos from 1,000 yards out. Rifle shot in high wind. Maybe....8....or 10 guys in the world could have made that shot. It was the only thing I was ever good at.




www.opspectraining.com

"It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it works out for them"



 
Posts: 37117 | Location: Logical | Registered: September 12, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Go ahead punk, make my day
posted Hide Post
^^^^^^
Wasn’t that a night too? Wink
 
Posts: 45798 | Registered: July 12, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata Page 1 2 3  
 

SIGforum.com    Main Page  Hop To Forum Categories  Mason's Rifle Room    What was your best rifle shot? Tell the tale!

© SIGforum 2024