The Best Shot You Ever Made

[David LaPell]

Ok, this should be a good one. What was the best shot you ever made? Either at a match, hunting etc? For me it is a toss up between a ruffed grouse that I shot three years ago at a distance of about 25 yards, with a .257 Roberts Ruger bolt action. The grouse was walking around on a light cover of snow and I pulled up and put the crosshairs on the bird's neck and the bullet cut the throat about halfway through. I ended up giving that bird to my wife's aunt, she loved grouse.
My other shot would have to be more recently when I shot my doe at 100 yards offhand with my 1853 Enfield musketoon. The front sight nearly covered the whole deer, but the aim was true and I hit her in the neck dropping her where she stood.
So what's you best shot?

 

[451 Detonics]

Well...there is the mosquito I shot on the wing at 150 yards with my AR...he can still fly but will never have children...

Seriously some of the best shooting I have done was with my FN FAL. Shooting at helium filled balloons at 100 yards in competition, bobbing and swaying in the wind I hit 5, shooting offhand in just over 5 seconds. I surprised myself that day.

 

[Bullseye 2620]

In the field, a 70-yard shot on a pheasant going up and away with a 26" 12 gauge Beretta 626 Onyx SxS, full choke, 2-1/2 inch shells with 1 oz. No. 6 shot.

On the range. . .see my avatar. . .25 yards, 10 shots, rapid fire.


Bullseye

 

[Smith357]

Many many years ago I helped a friend dial in his new Ruger #1 7mm Mag. We were in big field and about 300 yards away a groundhog popped up, I figured it could be dinner. Without ranging or even thinking I took the shot from a sitting position with no sling or rest. Neither of us saw a hit and figured it was a clean miss. When we walked out to police our targets at 320 yards there was a bloody smear on the ground. The hog had pretty much vaporized with nothing worth while left to throw in the stew pot.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

3 come to mind, first this summer a "pack of cigaretts" sized steel plate at 500yds. in a match [Savage 10 BA .308], End of summer 09, a used 40 cal bullet in the nose at 200 [Cooper 21 .223], and best handgun, rabbit in my garden, in the head at 40 to 45 yards about 15 years ago [model 28 very hot 180 gr carbine 357- only one round with me. So much joy!

 

[NFrameFred]

Off-hand, standing shot on an egg on a string at 100 yards with an open sighted M1 Garand in a match. With witnesses and caught on video at the time.

I was much younger and still had the eyes for it . . . .

 

[oldwiley]

When I was 12 y.o.- a pheasant w/ afterburners lit, shot at by 3 other guys and missed, already flew past me. I turned hard left at the waist and dropped him at about 50 yards with my 20 gauge 870, 1 oz. #6. Dad & Uncles just stood there with mouths open...

 

[iluvlabs1]

~ 50 feet... a 6" rubber fishing worm suspended by a thumbtack on the target... first shot...38 special out of a Ruger GP100 4"...split the worm in two... my sons (young at that time) and shooting partners were amazed.. so was I once my heart started again..

 

[madmikeb]

I have 3 come to mind. The first one was while shooting at the local gravel pit. Some guys were shooting milk jugs at 125 yard with rifles, I had my 6" 29-2, I said let me try that, they said hit the one on the left Mike, which I proceeded to do standing, offhand with my first shot. I didn't take any more shots. The second was at the local range, similar circumstances. Guys were shooting clay pigeons at 100 yards with their .22 rifles. I had my 5.5" model 41. Standing, offhand got one first shot, once again I didn't take any more shots! The last was actually a string of shots. I was shooting at a local action pistol match with my 3" Lew Horton M24 and I hit 12 8" plates at 15 yards in just about 9 seconds flat. These 3 incidents are probably my personal best! Unfortunately these were all going back a few years when my eyes were a bit better.

 

[Bullseye 2620]

When I was 12 y.o.- a pheasant w/ afterburners lit, shot at by 3 other guys and missed, already flew past me. I turned hard left at the waist and dropped him at about 50 yards with my 20 gauge 870, 1 oz. #6. Dad & Uncles just stood there with mouths open...

How sweet it is!


Bullseye

 

[The Big D]

This is easy for me; it is unforgettable.

Was with some guys shooting sporting clays on Kent Island, MD. They were using the hand held tosser thingee.

I was toting a 2" Model 60 with .38 hollow points, and they guys inquired if I could hit a clay with it. Never lacking self-confidence (but sometimes dumb) I said "let's see." They tossed one, and I busted it about 8' off the ground (as it was descending) and approximately 25 yards away with a holster draw.

They were amazed and said I could never do that again. They were quite correct!

Be safe.

 

[ralph7]

golf ball at about 20 yards w/my original 1911 colt and 230 grain hardball. was funny to see the ball accelerate from zero to 300mph(?) that fast.
the bullet was in the ball.

 

[LEO918]

I once shot a jackrabbit through the eyes at 110 long paces with an M-1 carbine (GI sights).

 

[gpe55bud]

From 1982 to 1984 I was stationed at Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque,NM. Me and a friend (Jim) were target shooting in an arroyo south of town. I was shooting my favorite 586 with handloads that were perfect for that gun. Relatively on the warm side. Never did chrono them but they were a perfect match. We were using 2" and 3" self stick orange target dots.
There was an old water heater for a target stand, shooting from 25 yds. A quarter a shot closest to center on the target dots. At the end of the session I was about $5 ahead of Jim and we were walking back to my truck. Jim says "All right smart ass, lets see you hit from here." So I fired one last shot at a 3" orange dot. We walked back up to check, ( 110 paces from my truck) DEAD CENTER. He said, "Do it again". Me, "Why, I proved my point" LOL. I told him he should have bought a S&W instead of the Ruger Redhawk that he had!

I did have and advantage though. Back then I was shooting an average of about 1000 rounds a week through that revolver. Could I do again now? Only with a WHOLE lot of luck. Heck, now I can barely see a 3" dot at 100 yards!!

 

[Brian41]

Duck hunting I once shot and missed at a flock of mallards, second shot knocked down two drakes. Both hit the water alive and third shot killed both.
Fifteen minutes later while still bragging up my feat my partner shot and killed two mallards with one shot.

I've shot triples on ducks and geese a couple times too. I'm not a great wingshot so those were something to me.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I took a freind shooting and it was pretty new to him. I was bouncing a can around as fast as possible at about 25 yards with my Rem. .22 fieldmaster auto. Hitting right underneath it to make it fly.No big deal there. But one time it flew up and went behind a cardboard box. without hessitating I shot through the box where I thought the can might be and lo and behold, it went flying out in the open where I continued to bounce it around. I really lucked out but my friend from there after considered me some great shot. I was more surprised than him but didn't show it.

 

[TXSWFAN]

My best shot was at my 22 birthday party. It was later in the afternoon and I think we had just finished the second keg. A rabbit was at the edge of my cleared property about 60 yards away. I had my Ruger MkII and drew a bead on the rabbit. I was swaying back and forth pretty good since my alcohol had a blood level of 99.7%. Everyone was watching and I stoned the rabbit with a head shot.

I put the gun away and acted like it was a simple shot.

 

[m657]

Decades ago I had acquired my first brand spanking new gun...a Gold Cup 45 acp. Took it out to the woods, put a slow fire bullseye NRA target up, walked about 50 paces back, turned, aimed and fired my first shot ever out of that gun.

Couldn't see a hole, thought I missed it. Walked back to the target, and found the 45 hole fit exactly in the X-ring cutting it perfectly as if I had traced a case and cut it out with an exacto.

Of course, the rest of the day was not quite up to that standard.

I kept that target for years but lost track of it along the way somewhere.

I still see that astounding hole though, in exact alignment, and at the right distance the bullet cut the inside ring perfectly all around the border.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Two come to mind.
First was during the bleak years when we had a three bird limit for ducks. Was hunting with my A-5 and a flight of teal came in-I shot once and dropped three. Hunt over!
A few years later I was hunting with my brother in law. He was razzing my about my BSS-said it was dumb to handicap myself with just two shots. A duck flew over us and was on afterburners offering a straight going away shot. I stood up-he said "no f'in way"-I dropped it with one shot at about 40 yards. I looked at him and replied "Go get my duck!"

 

[dacoontz]

This is easy for me as well. My first and so far only Muley Buck. Deer was 50 or 60 yards away in some pucker brush. I stood up on a log and saw him feeding. I hid back down and told my pops we had something big out in front of us. He thought it was an elk only being able to see his antlers above the brush. I took my Remington 30-06 off safety and keep in mind I had only ever shot in once or twice for practice. I balnced up on this fallen ponderosa log and looked where I remembered the buck being. He layed down and had his eyes looking my direction but all I could see was his rack. I estimated where his heart should be and made a blind shot through the pucker brush and he went down after a 20 yard sprint. The bonus was he fell only 50 yards up hill from our pick up.