What keeps you shooting?

I hope you get the ghog and soon! I do like to target shoot, I know I enjoy the process or routine to get an accurate shot off although I am not great at it, I send about 5-20 shots down range almost daily, very relaxing to me. All my hobbies are similar in that they all require a consistent process/routine in order to be somewhat successful like shooting, golf, fishing and cooking. I do get to pest for ground squirrels about twice a year at my friends place and the practice does help me in those situations.
I completely blew it. I think I got groundhog fever. Was playing on phone replying to a barrel tension topic when I glanced up and it was walking across in front of me. I remained frozen until it walked behind a dirt pile. I was instantly ready when it stood facing directly at me. I was on 6X and got discombobulated figuring out where to aim. Nose, teeth, chest, then I think I squeezed on the neck. It was a really big hog but I blew it over backwards. I couldn’t see it until it was headed back across in front of me. Couldn’t shoot again because of an equipment building. Put a cell cam on its hole. Very little blood so hopefully superficial. I got the fever because I was in phone mode and not hunting mode. Oh well, failure definitely keeps me shooting.
 
Sweet that you told the tale truly… Next time put down the chuck, then pick up the phone...🙈
I have shot a dump truck full of groundhogs in my life. Only an airgun can make me feel like an amateur at times. A coyote with a centerfire rifle or pistol? It’s dead and I never bat an eye. A coyote when I have my airgun? Sometimes I‘m a fumble bum trying to find the safety.
 
I have shot a dump truck full of groundhogs in my life. Only an airgun can make me feel like an amateur at times. A coyote with a centerfire rifle or pistol? It’s dead and I never bat an eye. A coyote when I have my airgun? Sometimes I‘m a fumble bum trying to find the safety.
The rush is unreal with an air rifle for some reason. I get so embarrassed listening to the scope cam footage because I’m usually breathing like some sort of man/hippo hybrid with emphysema 😂😂😂
 
Nostalgia!

Some of the BEST memories I have are of me and my dad shooting together. Everything from combat pistol, to clay pigeons to random plinking.

Later on, my mom "hired" me to "deal with" the hordes of chipmunks that were totally destroying all her plants on her deck and uprooting her garden. My dad had developed Parkinson's and had difficulty holding on the miniature garden roto-tillers, so it was up to me.

I'd go over a few times a week and sit with dad on the deck with my rifle and plink any chipmunk that showed up. We'd sit there for a few hours, just enjoying each other's company, while slowly whittling away at the legions of chipmunks 🐿.

I lost dad December 6th, 2021, and with him, my desire to shoot. I recently got the urge to shoot back, and have gone to mom's a half-dozen times with the rifle and a few pellets, returned to my "usual" spot on the deck to snipe a few rodents ... all the while remembering my time with dad.
 
Nostalgia!

Some of the BEST memories I have are of me and my dad shooting together. Everything from combat pistol, to clay pigeons to random plinking.

Later on, my mom "hired" me to "deal with" the hordes of chipmunks that were totally destroying all her plants on her deck and uprooting her garden. My dad had developed Parkinson's and had difficulty holding on the miniature garden roto-tillers, so it was up to me.

I'd go over a few times a week and sit with dad on the deck with my rifle and plink any chipmunk that showed up. We'd sit there for a few hours, just enjoying each other's company, while slowly whittling away at the legions of chipmunks 🐿.

I lost dad December 6th, 2021, and with him, my desire to shoot. I recently got the urge to shoot back, and have gone to mom's a half-dozen times with the rifle and a few pellets, returned to my "usual" spot on the deck to snipe a few rodents ... all the while remembering my time with dad.
No Kids? Grandkids are the pinnacle!
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What keeps me shooting…?

Two things:

#1: Target shooting requires total concentration - so its like a fun meditation as it allows you to take your mind off everything else and just focus on the task at hand.

#2: I like to work on and tweak the rifles to see if I can improve their performance - so its an opportunity to test, learn, apply and continually optimize as you learn more and acquire more data.

Fun hobby.

-Ed
 
I’ve been shooting basically forever since I was about six years old my older brother got a shotgun with a 22 ruffle underneath and both of us have been shooting since way back there we both love shooting. He loves black power and large color and I love PCPs pallet guns 10 m guns and basically anything that goes pew pew pew
 
Sweet that you told the tale truly… Next time put down the chuck, then pick up the phone...🙈
The phone has become a blessing and a curse when it comes to hunting. Every year my buddies and I joke about how many deer slip by while guys are playing on their phones. But they kill time while on stand or sitting at the base of a tree. I knew I had about an hour wait for that groundhog and to keep my mind off bugs and how sore my butt was gonna get I broke out the Apple god and started worshipping. And it cost me.
 
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I completely blew it. I think I got groundhog fever. Was playing on phone replying to a barrel tension topic when I glanced up and it was walking across in front of me. I remained frozen until it walked behind a dirt pile. I was instantly ready when it stood facing directly at me. I was on 6X and got discombobulated figuring out where to aim. Nose, teeth, chest, then I think I squeezed on the neck. It was a really big hog but I blew it over backwards. I couldn’t see it until it was headed back across in front of me. Couldn’t shoot again because of an equipment building. Put a cell cam on its hole. Very little blood so hopefully superficial. I got the fever because I was in phone mode and not hunting mode. Oh well, failure definitely keeps me shooting.
😂...you were in Airgun topic mode and not hunting mode! That is for sure something I would have done 😂. They are very tough so I am thinking you'll get another chance at it! Keep us up to date!
 
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😂...you were in Airgun topic mode and not hunting mode! That is for sure something I would have done 😂. They are very tough so I am thinking you'll get another chance at it! Keep us up to date!
I put a camera on the hole after the fester shot yesterday. No activity in 24 hours. Unless there is an ICU down that hole, I think it’s down there taking a forever nap. I’m bothered by it, but I’ll get over it.
 
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The phone has become a blessing and a curse when it comes to hunting. Every year my buddies and I joke about how many deer slip by while guys are playing on their phones. But they kill time while on stand or sitting at the base of a tree. I knew I had about an hour wait for that groundhog and to keep my mind off bugs and how sore my butt was gonna get I broke out the Apple god and started worshipping. And it cost me.
OMG, I'm literally camping some rat bait right now while I read this thread. 😅

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