Frenchieboy Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 I have a good friend from our bowling club who has been begging me to take him out shooting with me! He often has a few rabbits from me for the pot and he wanted to go out and see how I did it! He said that he wasn't even too worried if he wasn't allowed to take a shot, he just wanted me to take him out for the "experience"! Well I am always willing to help and encourage potential new shooters so all was set for yesterday evening. The plan was that he would come with me on to one of my permissions as my "gun carrier" so that I could take the 17HMR for rabbits but I could also have the .243 available if a fox was stupid enough to show its head to me! I took him to one of the quarries that I use to check the zero on my rifles and after a short safety talk (Obligatory with anyone I take out with me) I checked the zero on my 17HMR - All was fine so I decided to let him have a few shots at a paper target. Considdering he has never shot a gun before except an air rifle at the fairground he did remarkably well and said that he had not experience such a "buzz" for a long time while grinning like a Cheshire Cat! Then, just to show him what effect and "power" the .243 had I set up a 1 litre plastic milk carton filled with water and with the top screwed down tightly at 100 yards. He stood a couple of paces back from me while I took the shot and (After his ears had stopped ringing) he was completely amazed at the damage my shot had done to the milk carton, there was very little left to pich up of the carton! The smile on his face ran from ear to ear! From there we went to one of my permissions that has some rabbits that needed clearing - It turned out that he knew the farmer and his wife and daughters well! After a short chat with the family we went off in search of a few bunnies! I offered to let him try a shot at the first one we saw at about 70 yards but he declined the offer and said that he would rather see how I did it as he wasn't confident enough to take on live quarry for now! About 5 seconds later a shot rang out from my HMR and the bunny did a high back flip and dropped as dead as a Do-Do with the bullet entering the side of it's head and exiting through the neck! He was flabberghasted at the damage the small HMR bullet did, taking some of the nech bone out of an exit wound about an inch in diameter! To emphasise what the Hummer could do the next rabbit I chose was only a small young one sittin at about 45 degrees to me about 50 yards out. I chose a body shot on purpose to show exactly how much damage the Hummer woyuld do! The rabbit dropped on the spot! When we got to it he was surprised that he could see no damage whatsoever where the bullet had entered - It was a different matter when I turned the rabbit over! He was completely amazed that I had managed to shoot, kill and gut the young rabbit in one quick shot and the reality of what damage rifles are capable of inflicting very quickly hit home! The rest of the evening saw me shoot half a dozen more, all head shots out to about 120 yards, all to be retreived, skinned and gutted for the pot. He was so "pumped up" with the experience that he has asked me if I will help him to fill in the paperwork to apply for his FAC and asked if I would continue taking him out with me in the mean time so that he could gain some exoperience. My reply was an obvious YES! A great evening in the company of someone that wanted to listen and learn, and a potential new rifle shooter as an added bonus , What more can anyone ask for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds chimp Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 nice one..I enjoying taking people out. Just seeing the reaction when they actually hit a paper target before we actually go out fully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLACK-GUN Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 what a genuine and kind man you are frenchieboy, it is a shame there are not more like you. keep up the good work. all the best joe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted July 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 what a genuine and kind man you are frenchieboy, it is a shame there are not more like you. keep up the good work. all the best joe. That's very thoughtful of you to say that Joe, but I do not see myself any differently to most members on here and I do not want to be thought of as anything special! All I do is to try to help and encourage others - Doing that gives me pleasure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste12b Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 (edited) Nice one frenchieboy Edited July 29, 2011 by ste12b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.I.A Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 Good stuff I hope he has many many more enjoyable trips out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camokid Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 its allways nice to get people involved and to open there eyes to the sport insted of most folk branding you as crule. fair play pete.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Mule Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 Nice one! Great to hear that he was sensible enough to know that he will need to practice on paper for a while before 'getting serious'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 Good stuff fella and a nice read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 You've done a service to shooting. If only all novice rifle shooters or shooters moving up from air rifle were mentored in this way before they went out on their own with a rifle. It would do them, them the sport, and the wild-life a lot of good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radar_uk Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 Top Man - we need more people like you to help encourage others into the sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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