In praise of that rifle shot.

Photo by Oleg Volk

Ruger American Rifle in .308 Win - Sig Sauer Whiskey3 4-12x40 scope - Andy’s Leather Rhodesian Sling.

When I bought that rifle and scoped it, I will admit that my knowledge of long guns and shooting them at 100 yards and more was at best next to nil. I sort-of-zero-ish the scope and the combo went back inside the safe for the longest till this past weekend.

This time I went behind the scope with a thimble or two more of rifle knowledge courtesy of Appleseed and I knew what I was looking for and what. It is the need to know where the bullet will land after you pull the trigger.

After the initial three shots, I could see I was about hitting low from Point of Aim at 100 yards and I adjusted till I hit what I was aiming at. But you cannot call any experiment a success unless its result is repeated, so I shot a second time and it was very close to the first and then a third time which almost equal results. That last one was the shot that made me smile because it was not luck or chance or the finger of the gods but simply I had somehow managed to marry rifle, scope and ammunition to deliver accurately at that distance.

It was a satisfying day.