Tree Rats one and two

[lurch420gam]

Got the first fella a couple days ago.  He was just as bold as can be, sitting up munching on a hickory nut.  Never even flinched when I crept up to about 12 yards away, braced against a cottonwood tree and let a Red Fire fly.  He ran about 20 yards toward another tree, hoping to escape, but the pumphouse was destroyed and he never made it.  Fell over, twitched his tail once, and he was a goner.  Pellet went in right behind his shoulder (you might be able to see the entry wound in the pic) and exited the other side near his armpit.  Number two was yesterday afternoon.  She was sitting on a low maple tree branch about 15 yards away, giving me a perfect profile as I used the fence as a rest and sent a Red Fire on its way.  Shot knocked her off her perch, did a double gainer on the way down.  She hit the ground running and made it about 4 feet up the nearest tree before she realized was dead, whereupon she dropped gracelessy to the ground.  Gun shown is my bone-stock Gamo Viper with a cheapo Crosman scope for pumpers.  New Leaper's scope, accushot one piece mount and GRT-III trigger being ordered tomorrow, so I might start trying for fusebox shots instead of always going for the heart/lung shots.

[only1harry]

Nice shooting and congrats on the double-header! 

From 12-15yds out head shot or heart/lunch shot will probably work equally well, because it's hard to miss the vitals area from that distance. 
However, head/brain shots are always a little better because they don't go anywhere after getting hit.  They just drop and do a little death dance and that's it.  With a vitals shot sometimes they get enough energy to crawl and hide, or run to the den if it's close-by before they expire.  With a head shot you don't have to worry about them going anywhere.

[timegoat]

Nice shooting Lurch!

I didn't know that about the difference between a head and vitals shot. Went for vitals on the one that got away this morning. Noggin knockin' from now on.

[dk1677]

Nice shooting!

[1377x]

nice shooting!