Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1934-12-27
HOW T0:A.:.
or.
By Bob Nichols

PRACTICALLY every boy starts his
: shooting career with a small %
calibre rifle. His earliest targets will
be something easy-llke b~ullfrogs. for
instance. Very soon he learns that his
shooting has the %cleanest, surest.
killing results when he aims with q
clear. unobstructed view OF his game.
Experience soon teaches him that the
surest way TO kill Il hullfrog. and espe
Gully a large one. Is to plant his bullet
squarely In the middle of the frogs
back at a point about an Inch or so
behind the eyes. Very soon. IL he Is d
wise little hunter. he learns TO hold his
fire until he can get a clear view OF
this vital spot.
A little later In his hunting career,
when he takes a shotgun into the field
to learn wingshooting, his earlier rife
shooting experience may cause him
to lose the chance ut many d shot that
might easily be kflled with the rela-
lively large killing pattern OF his new
gun. In other words. failing 10 see his
flying target In the clear, unobstructed
omen. he frequently may withhold his
fire and miss a nice chance for an easy
kill.
You cannot walt for flying or run.
ming game to appear in a clear. open
space before shooting. AT the rise you
should mount your gun, swing on the
roaring target, swing past tahead OF
it, and let drive. Pay no attention to
limbs and foliage of trees and briar-
bushes that may seem to screen your
target so we'll that you can scarcely
see the flying mark. Do not worry
enough Of your shot will go through to
find the mark Ii your aim Is accurate.
Many a time In hunting ruffed
grouse | have had the bird roar up In
dense woods cover where | could catch
only tieeting glimpses of Its speedy
Highland when | snapped my gun
into firing position ahead OF the target
and shot at a point tsat seemed would
result In a sure kill. ! have been cha
grined ar seeing my full load land
smack against the intervening thick
merrily off to safety. On other occa-
sions | have had my full charge strike
q sapling scarcely ten feet In front of
me and completely cut 1t down-and
again. OF course. the bird was safe.
But upon still other occasions | have
swung ahead on q %grouse's line of
flight and LEI drive right through the
thick. dark mass of an evergreen and
killed the bird stone dead-even
though at the point where my load
drove through the screen of evergreen
boughs the bird was completely out OF
sight.
Again, when hunting In waist-hlgh
bramhles and weeds. | have quite often
killed rabbits when they were entirely
out of sight at the time ! fired. | could
see them get ont. could see the line of
their running as they started. The only
hope of bagging them lay In guessing
where to shoot-and this guessing"
gets to be a highly accurate estimate
after one has had enough experience.
All you do Is to Jump your gun ahead
of them and let drive. In a flash you
estimate where the rabbit would be II
he kept straight on at the speed he
started. You instinctively shoot ar the
point where you Judge he will be at
the time your shot load gets there.
Never mind the intervening screen OF
bushes and thick weeds. II your hold.
or lead. Is right, enough Of your shot
load will drive through to kill the
game.
This style OF shooting Is pure, In
stinctive gun pointing. II Is commonly
referred TO as "snap shooting" 1t
should only be used when necessary
where the game Is obscnred from
view. and where the choice lies be-
tween a snap shot" or no shot at all.
Rabbit hunting with a farmer friend
one day last Autumn | killed three rab.
bits hand-running with snap shots In
heavy cover. After ench shot he would
call out ..Got him?' I'd call back
Don't know yet-bnt | shot where he
ought to be-" And after picking uI
the third rabbit that was 'swhere he
ought to be" my friend swore | had 9
trained gun that only needed to b.
told to 'sic EN-"
C.. Western Newspaper Union