CLOSE range: How to mess up a SURE shot the STUPID way 🤦🏻‍♂️

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JungleShooter

JungleShooter

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Sep 5, 2018
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Lima (11,000,000 people + twice as many pigeons)
CLOSE RANGE:
How to mess up a SURE shot the STUPID way 🤦🏻‍♂️

In the past, there were times when
▪ I missed because the quarry moved the moment I pulled the trigger.

▪ There were times I missed because the wind decided to swirl into a different direction just as my pellet was making its way to the quarry.

▪ And times when I missed because my Chinese valve, regulator, or other part did what Chinese gun parts often do.


Well, this is not one of those times.



🔹 I had a pigeon land really close to my well-conceiled position.
50 yards range would have been fine. 12 yards would have been fine.
But it was only 4 yards.... 😱


I raised my head slowly over my cover, left eye scanning for the quarry, right eye aiming through 3x magnification.
What a rush! (and rushed I was, as these pigeons don't stick around once they see a human this close).

THERE IT IS!! —— Crosshairs on it!! —— Squeeze the trigger, follow through!!

• • • • • • •​

A loud sharp slap.
Not the expected deep thudd....
Fluttering of a scared pest bird. Fluttering away — not fluttering on the ground in a final death dance.... 🤷🏻‍♂️


STUPID!! 😡 (me, that is).
Missed a 4 (four) yard shot!

At such close range the trajectory of my JSB dome was over an inch lower than the crosshairs.
And on its way it hit an obstacle that — — in the scope view — didn't seem to be in the way of the trajectory. But that's what I hit.

And the pest bird lives to poop another day. 🤷‍♂️

• • • • • • •​


There is plenty to learn for me...


🔹 MY SICKNESS 😱
I welcome 50 yard shots. 5 yard shots scare me. I have missed those shots — so — many — times. 🤦🏻‍♂️
And one reason is that hunting fever is real. It's a sickness that shuts my brain off.
So, unless my brain is trained through many practices where it will perform on auto-pilot, I will continue to miss those extreme close range shots.


🔹 THE TREATMENT 😊
For my fever the doctor might prescribe the following treatment:
Maybe I need a shooting range at the bottom of a ravine, or some other location where I have backstops all around me.
I'll place numbered targets all around me at varying ranges, some far, but many at extreme close ranges.
And then, I need to shoot them in order, under time pressure.
Until my brain learns to perform on auto-pilot.
➔ Death to all pigeons, both NEAR and far! 💀



❓ What are your experiences with extreme close range shots on quarry?


Have a great day! (meaning, go kill something).

Matthias
 
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Yupp, you're right, the scope is 4.9cm (1.9") above the barrel centerline. 😊 👍🏼


The term "point blank" on a gun forum means something else than what news reporters have made the term to mean, like "extremely close" or "cruelly in your face". 😉

"Point blank" means that if you put the crosshairs (or bead) right on the killzone of your quarry you score a hit — because the pellet trajectory is so close to the line of sight through the scope (or the iron sights). Just "point" the gun at the "blank" (or "bulls") and you get a kill.

The range where this occurs is called the "point blank range."


🔹 For example:
For a quarry with a killzone of 1/2" my gun/ammo combination might have a point blank range (PBR) from 12y to 31y. ➔ That means that — as long as the quarry is within the PBR — if I hold the crosshairs in the center of the killzone — the pellet will hit the kill zone (assuming a perfect shot).
It might hit 1/4" low, or a 1/4" high, but not outside the 1/2" killzone (KZ).

That means, in the PBR I don't need to adjust the elevation using the elevation turret or the reticle. Great if I need to take a rapid shot.

Now, if my quarry is outside of the PBR, I will need to make those adjustments....

Matthias
 
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You’re not immune to this type of error on long distance shots either. Failing to realize you have obstacles at close range below your scopes line of sight regardless of distance to intended target can lead to a shot going awry. I may or may not have personal experience with this while laying prone on a ditch bank while taking careful aim with my 22lr at a certain Prarie dog standing proudly on top of his mound at about 60-70 yards, with a barb wire fence between me and said Prairie dog🙄
I can recall many similar posts on this forum over the years where a window sill, some deck railings and even a few truck mirrors I believe, that have also suffered from this critical oversight.
 
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Hold over is not intuitive. When teaching at the Police Academy ,with the AR platform ,showing the recruits to put the red dot just over the head to make the perfect head shot from 25 yards and in. They would look at you with a funny face.

My 2 hunting rifles are sighted in at 50 yards so I know right at about 17 yards is POA/POI, but I always check my zero before hunting and I try and check the close up zero also....Never know when those big teeth evil carnivorous ground squirrels will try and sneak up on you 😎


Tony P.
 
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@JungleShooter My friend let me tell you… That type of situation is precisely what prompted me to practice close up shooting. In doing so with my Prod I found that: 7 yards is the minimum range my currently mounted scope can handle (I used a tape measure to place my target at various ranges between 7-15 yards). In doing so, I noticed a significant difference in holdover at two very close ranges. I have zero idea how one would guess something like that. I agree with @pesty3782 saying that holdover is not intuitive. After practicing with that particular gun I will no longer pass on those type of shots. At 4 yards I might pass if have not practiced the shot and I don’t like my unintended backstop or if the image of my target was not clear through the scope. I’ve had various animals appear within 5 yards of my line of sight, some were moving too much to even line up a good shot and others whereby and I just blew it. It’s often tough when an animal shows up at an unexpected range, because they seldom seem to allow the shooter ample time to adjust. Adjusting requires movement and movement in proximity to quarry seems to spook them about as fast as many game animals’ reaction after catching a hint of your scent, with the exception of some rabbits in my experience.

As for obstructions, I have been the guy who shot the barbed wire in a moment of excitement while using a fence post as a rest. Not sure if that’s what @milehighairhunner meant in his post. That happened with my EDgun Lelya I think due to me rushing, the exit hole on the moderator being off center, and my brain wanting to assume all was symmetrical. Some of that lead fragmented and stung my hand enough to motivate me t remember to be mindful of clearing the muzzle of obstructions 😅. Don’t feel too bad. Things we learn afield. Good info on scope height factoring in as well.
 
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JungleShooter said:
CLOSE RANGE:
How to mess up a SURE shot the STUPID way 🤦🏻‍♂️

In the past, there were times when
▪ I missed because the quarry moved the moment I pulled the trigger.

▪ There were times I missed because the wind decided to swirl into a different direction just as my pellet was making its way to the quarry.

▪ And times when I missed because my Chinese valve, regulator, or other part did what Chinese gun parts often do.


Well, this is not one of those times.



🔹 I had a pigeon land really close to my well-conceiled position.
50 yards range would have been fine. 12 yards would have been fine.
But it was only 4 yards.... 😱


I raised my head slowly over my cover, left eye scanning for the quarry, right eye aiming through 3x magnification.
What a rush! (and rushed I was, as these pigeons don't stick around once they see a human this close).

THERE IT IS!! —— Crosshairs on it!! —— Squeeze the trigger, follow through!!

• • • • • • •​

A loud sharp slap.
Not the expected deep thudd....
Fluttering of a scared pest bird. Fluttering away — not fluttering on the ground in a final death dance.... 🤷🏻‍♂️


STUPID!! 😡 (me, that is).
Missed a 4 (four) yard shot!

At such close range the trajectory of my JSB dome was over an inch lower than the crosshairs.
And on its way it hit an obstacle that — — in the scope view — didn't seem to be in the way of the trajectory. But that's what I hit.

And the pest bird lives to poop another day. 🤷‍♂️

• • • • • • •​


There is plenty to learn for me...


🔹 MY SICKNESS 😱
I welcome 50 yard shots. 5 yard shots scare me. I have missed those shots — so — many — times. 🤦🏻‍♂️
And one reason is that hunting fever is real. It's a sickness that shuts my brain off.
So, unless my brain is trained through many practices where it will perform on auto-pilot, I will continue to miss those extreme close range shots.


🔹 THE TREATMENT 😊
For my fever the doctor might prescribe the following treatment:
Maybe I need a shooting range at the bottom of a ravine, or some other location where I have backstops all around me.
I'll place numbered targets all around me at varying ranges, some far, but many at extreme close ranges.
And then, I need to shoot them in order, under time pressure.
Until my brain learns to perform on auto-pilot.
➔ Death to all pigeons, both NEAR and far! 💀



❓ What are your experiences with extreme close range shots on quarry?


Have a great day! (meaning, go kill something).

Matthias
Click to expand...
Been there and done that! When you get used to shots either within your PBR or longer (where you need holdover), it is hard to remember that those really close shots need even more holdover!

Not to mention that usually the REALLY close shots come really fast and without notice, so you tend to go with "muscle memory" for your aim.

Of course, most of my shots are within my PBR which is about 15-35 yards, so for me a 50 yard or longer shot is a challenge! However, just today I made my first Tree rat kill at ~80 yards! DRT heart shot! Not bad for a Benjamin Fortitude .177 shooting 10.5 CPUM at ~750fps!

As I said, been there and done that (missed a short shot) more times than I like to admit. (sheepish grin)
 
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Close range is just like shooting long range. You have to aim higher to connect.
I shot at a gopher at 5.5 yards the other day. 33 ftlb pcp, hw100 with one of Hawkes higher end SFP scopes. Ballistic program calibrated to 20 power had it on 6.5 magnification. I held 3.5 mils up, shot just over the pests head.
I needed to factor in not shooting at 20 power. Lots of things to think about as you watch a pest eat one of your plants. I'm now sighting in a Beman Mako in .177 to 6 yards, dedicated close range gopher killer.
Don't beat yourself up , live and learn.
 
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