The Coolidge examiner., 1934-12-28
HOW T8::s,:,:.
S HO Or
By Bob Nichols
- ssae'.as E..,o.. f.s.. .sa s1,a-s


PRACTICALLY every boy starts
his shooting career with "a small
- calibre rifle. Ills earliest ter
gets will be something easy-llke
bullfrogs. Tor instance. Very soon
he learns that his shooting has the
clcauest. surest killing results when
he aims with n clear. unobstructcd
view OF his game. Experience soon
teaches him that the surest way 10
kin a bpllfrog. and especially \
large one. Is to plant his bullet
squarely In the middle OF the frogs
back at a point about an inch or
W behind the eyes Very soon. n
he Is a wise little hunter. be learns
70 hold his fire until he can get
clear view Of this vital spot
4 little later IN his hunting
career. when be takes a shotgun
into the field 20 learn wingshooting.
his earller rife shooting experience
may cause him 20 lose the chance
nj many n shot that might easily be
killed with the relatively large XIII
Ing pattern of his new gun. In 9th
or words. failing 10 see his flying
target In the clear. unohstructed
open. he frequently may withhold
his FIRE and miss n nice chance Tor
m easy kill
You cannot wait Tor flying or run
ming game 20 appear In a clear
open space before shooting at the
rise you should mount your gun
swing on the roaring target, swing
past tahead az it) and let drive
Pay no attention TO limbs and fol.
age of trees aud briar bushes thai
may seem 10 screen your target S.
well that you can scarcely see The
dying mark. Do not worry enough
OF your shot viii 20 through 10 dnh
the mark II your aim Is accurate
Many a time In hunting rufTe
grouse | have had the bird roar up
In dense woods cover whore could
catch only aecting gllmpses OF its
speedy nlghf--and when | snapped
my gun into firing position ahead
of the target and shot AZ point
that seemed would result In a sur
klll. I have been chagrined at SEE
Ing my full load land smack
against the intervening thick trunk
OF a tree. while the bird Doomed
merrily OF TO safety. On other oc
caslons have had my full charge
strike a sapllng scarcely ten fee
In front OF me and completely cut
li down--and again. of course. the
bird was safe.
But upon still other occasions /
have swung ahead on grouse
line OF flight and lei drive rigbi
through the thick. dark mass os az
evergreen and KILLED the bird stone
dead-even though AZ the point
ehere my load drove through the
screen OF evergreen boughs the bird
gns completely out o. sight.
Again. when hunting In waist
high brambles and weeds. I have
quite often killed rabbits when they
were entirely out OF sight az III,
time I fred. ! could see them gei
out could see the line OF their run
ming as they started. The oull
hope OF bagglug them las In guess
ng where 10 shoot--and thls
guessing gets TO be highly ac
curate estimate after one has had
enough experience All you DO Is L.
lump your gun ahead OF them and
., drive. In a lash you estimate
where the rabbit would be II be
kept straight on az the speed he
started You instinctIvely shoot al
the point where you judge he VIII
be nj the time your shot load getf
there. Never mind the intervening
screen OF bushes and thick weeds
n your hold. or lead. Is right
enough OF your shot load win drive
through TO kin the game.
This style OF shooting is pure. In
stinctive gun pointing. II Is com
monty referred TO as "snap shoot
ing" IL should only be used wheu
necessary. where the game is oh
@cured from view. and where the
choice lies between a "snap shot
or no shot az all.
Rabbit hunting with a farmer
friend one day last Autumn | killed
three rabbits hand-runnlng with
snap shots IN heavy cover. After
each shot he would call out "Goi
himT" I'd call back. Don't know
yet--but | shot where he ought to
be-" And after picking up the
third rabbit that was where he
ought TO be" my friend swore | had
trained gun that only needed to
be told 10 "sic EN-"
G. Western Newspaper Union.