Not my finest moment...

[Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58)]

This Cotton Rat has been coming at some pretty irregular times, so it's been hard to anticipate when he's going to show up.  Well, he appeared this morning during my morning coffee so I went to see if I'd get a shot at him.  The FX Dynamic Compact was in the DeathGrip Tripod from yesterday's shooting session, so I just went with it.  I connected, but it wasn't a clean kill shot and he scampered into the brush pile.



Not sure it it was too much coffee or not enough, but I was all over the target this morning and when the shot did go off, it went high and appears to have grazed it's back.  I grabbed my Thermal Monocular to see if I could find his heat signature in the brush pile, but could not see any heat at all.  If the shot severed its backbone, I suspect it will die, if not, I may see it again another day if the raccoons and opossums don't find it first.  Not my finest moment, but I guess $h!t happens....

[KevinJBrown]

Maybe not your finest moment, but my experience is I shoot like I practice. If I want to be able to take scrambling shots, I had better practice them. I prefer not to, so I practice shots that allow me to take steady holds with enough time to evaluate conditions, set my scope etc. (which means using a scope).
I’d say acknowledge what happened, either learn not to do it again or practice so it doesn’t make you miss.
I’m considering getting a lever action which is going to require a lot of practice to develop the muscle memory I have with bolt action. Also I have to decide what optics I will use.

[airgunaut]

Based on videos posted, you nail so many that your finer moments far outweigh the lesser ones. I commend you for demonstrating that it can happen to experienced pesters. (And have you checked your scope and gun?)

OT:  what bird is making that strange call? I remember hearing them somewhere back east but never elsewhere.

[Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58)]

Based on videos posted, you nail so many that your finer moments far outweigh the lesser ones. I commend you for demonstrating that it can happen to experienced pesters. (And have you checked your scope and gun?)

OT:  what bird is making that strange call? I remember hearing them somewhere back east but never elsewhere.

Thanks Pat!  I did just zero the scope on that rifle yesterday.  It was still in the tripod from the session.  But, those FX AMP Regulators can be finicky and I suspect it wasn't up to full operating capacity, even though I did take one shot at the ground prior to taking the shot at the rat.  It's a tough call, because the first shot to wake up the regulator has more often than not been enough to scare off the rat!  I need to swap it out of a Huma Regulator and not worry about those first few shots not being at full power!

OT:  The bird you're hearing is a BlueJay!  We have tons of them and Cardinals in our back yard!

[HunterWhite]

Paul, the way he jumped, and the way he ran, I would say he’ll never reproduce again.
Okay, so good enough .

Hunter 

[ranchibi]

Paul! You did the best you could and don't be too tough on yourself! Your shot is 50yds! Just being a hair off will cause a shift in ones desired POI! We all try our best for a clean humane shot and pull that off consistently but we are human and make mistakes. You are not alone my friend!

[dk1677]

Definitely took a chunk out Paul. It happens

[ranchibi]

You definitely nailed it pretty good now that I took a better looksie!

[Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58)]

Paul, the way he jumped, and the way he ran, I would say he’ll never reproduce again.
Okay, so good enough .

Hunter

LOL!  Thanks Hunter!  Yea, I'm guessing any kind of hip action is now out of the question!   

[Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58)]

Paul! You did the best you could and don't be too tough on yourself! Your shot is 50yds! Just being a hair off will cause a shift in ones desired POI! We all try our best for a clean humane shot and pull that off consistently but we are human and make mistakes. You are not alone my friend!

Thank you Randall!  I would rather miss completely rather than maim a critter, but I doubt he will survive the night if he's even still with us!  Those Cotton rats aren't as tough as the rats you get visiting your feed station, these tend to roll over and ie if you just graze them!

[Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58)]

Definitely took a chunk out Paul. It happens

Thanks Dave!  Fortunately, it doesn't happen often, but when it does, it stings!

[Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58)]

You definitely nailed it pretty good now that I took a better looksie!

I have watched that video a dozed times, and you are right, seems it was a solid hit, just high on it's back.  I probably severed its back, which should have been fatal.  It did make it far enough into the brush pile that I couldn't see it with a thermal, but who knows, maybe a snake got a nice meal!

[martrage]

Paul , you're so right , sh--stuff happens ! Today as I sat watching for Ghogs I saw several out of airgun range ,so I moved to another field ,only to be chased
back toward the Toyota by a rain. On the way back towards the original stand , I saw the family I was after ! No dice ,wind & rain , get movin"! I got across the field only to have the rain & wind stop & sunshine appears! So off I go again , up across the field as before to the same spot. Range to the "family unit" ,30-35 yrds. Another hole farther out was 76 yrds. After a brief stretch Juvie #1 appears , Whack. Down. A few minutes later JUvie #2 appears slightly above & left, Whack. Down ,but snow plows down hill about 15 ft. Sure that the adult or another young would show ( I saw 3 pups earlier) I waited . Off to my right I catch a movement at the far hole , it's a mature hog at 72yrds. Hold up a couple & let one fly, miss just left , not enough for wind. Well it runs to its mound uphill. I track it, & it stops before going in( they almost ALWAYS do) Correcting I send another ,Twack! Tail up & quivering ! Yes , 76 yrds! I wait a bit & sure enough Mom from the first spot shows & I whack her . I take the needed "proof of death" photos ,then gather up gear to check out my long shot. I get there to find copious amounts
of blood & a trail leading down the hole     . I know that was a fatal shot or that tail would not have gone up and "flagged" like that. It just did a couple
forward bulldoze kicks & gone. I guess s- -t just happens.

[HunterWhite]

Martin, nice descriptive writing. 
Fantastic shots too.
Hunter 

[martrage]

 Hunter ,thanks. I have been know to shoot the "proverbial bovine excrement "at times. I sincerely hope that I didn't appear to hijack Paul's post. Even w/ plenty of gun , sometimes critters just do incredible things to survive.