i've been in

the pursuit of hunting, target shooting and 'stump' shooting for a while using firearms, bows and arrows and pellets.

I've launched countless projectiles at live game and at various, sundry, targets. I've hit them, I've missed them...but overall, I'd say I've missed FAR MORE than I've hit.

many years ago, when it was still open to hunt on, my son and i went to Santa Cruz Island where there was (and probably still is) an over abundance of wild sheep and wild pigs. as many of you know from your history, the early Spanish explorers stocked the Channel Islands off the coast of California with goats, pigs and sheep in order to have a captive population of food animals. these animals have no natural predators to keep their populations under control...(well...there is a species of fox that live there but they're rare and protected by law and they're only the size of your average house cat...hardly a threat to a goat, sheep or pig.) hunting was permitted in order to keep them in check.

i took a compound bow and a recurve bow and we both took a generous supply of arrows. my son was shooting a compound bow.

we were to be there for two full days so time spent in pursuit was at a premium.

the time came where i finally had a nice ram within my bow range. i estimated him at near a full curl.

i was, at the time, hunting with my recurve bow, a 65# Bear, Kodiak Hunter and shooting Easton 2219 arrows tipped with deadly sharp, zwickey, black diamond, broadheads.

now, I'm not a great hunter, in fact, I'm probably below average in hunting skills, but i managed somehow, to close the gap on this fine ram to within 15 yards; i did everything right on this particular stalk, i suppose.

when "the moment of truth" came, i did not feel the strength of the draw of the 65# bow at all...i had so much adrenaline flowing i felt like i was going to break the bow.

when the bow settled on the spot where i felt it was right, i loosed the arrow only to see and hear it strike a huge oak tree limb that the ram was grazing under; it sounded almost like a rifle shot it was so loud. I'd shot over his back by a good three feet!

the startled animal jumped straight up in the air, came back down, looked around and resumed browsing after what seemed to be hours, but was in reality, seconds. i had remained motionless and had, somehow, been overlooked in his sweeping, self-preservation, looks around himself.

i put another arrow on the string making sure to muffle the sound of the nock snapping on to the string so as not to alert the wary animal while all the time making sure not to make any rapid, unnecessary, movement.

by then, i thought the adrenaline was going to blow out my eardrums...i was getting a second chance...highly unusual in this pursuit...one seldom gets two shots at the same game animal he just missed with the first shot.

this time the shot went high over his back, once again...the arrow clacked harmlessly into the thick undergrowth 10 to 15 yards beyond the unsuspecting animal.

i was really frustrated by then and didn't really know what to do.

i decided to try again and like a dummy, i stood up, partially exposing myself and started my draw. dumb move...the animal jerked his head around looking at me directly and took off like a shot...

what lesson(s) did i learn from that experience? well...for one thing...to "take my time and AIM the shot"...you can't hit ANYTHING if you don't aim at it. the finest equipment in the world will not help you if you don't use it CORRECTLY.

i was to repeat that very same experience more times down through the years.

once on a grazing deer, TWICE on javelina and once on a wild pig to recall a few times.

looking back at it, i am of the belief that it was not those animals day to die.

I've been taught, still believe, and have taught my sons, that if a shot does "Not feel right", DON"T take it; whether it's on the emotional or the physical level, it will usually not fare well if it's not "right".

another time that's still fresh in the memory was a time my son and i were hunting coyote in a remote canyon east of San Diego, in the high desert. i was using a .22 WMR and he was using a .22 long rifle.

he spotted what he believed to be a coyote through his scope but determined it was too far for the long rifle and told me to take the shot with the magnum round.

i focused the scope on the creature and settled the crosshairs on its chest, dead center (it was facing us directly head on) and noticed it was a fox...not a coyote. but certain species of fox are protected here in California...so...i just chuckled and watched it for a while through the scope.

my son asked why i didn't take the shot and i told him that it was a fox and i was not sure if it was a 'protected one' or not. (as i recall...and i could be wrong... there are three species in California...one which is protected, one is open year round and one you must get a tag for.)

my point here is that: we both made good, solid, CORRECT decisions. he was not certain of the capability of his rifle, i was not sure of my target. in all...a good day and an enriching experience.

all my sons are now grown men with families of their own. on more than one occasion, I've had them tell me: "It didn't feel right, Dad." i believe i did something right, would you agree?

I've shouldered a

great number of air rifles throughout the years but i think the two most outstanding ones I've had the pleasure to own are the Airforce Talon and the Benjamin Marauder; they're both PCP rifles.

there are, in existence, big bore air rifles, or i could modify my Airforce Talon by changing the barrel, air tank and valve to a larger bore, that are capable of taking big game such as elk, wild pigs and deer with available out there, but i choose to stop at the .25 caliber PCP. i have 'powder burning' rifles for that purpose; my air rifles are more for the smaller game and to 'plink' with around the property with so as not to disturb the neighbors and, the .25 caliber Marauder and .22 caliber Talon is capable of taking fair sized creatures out to around 70 yards. I've taken numerous, good sized rabbits at that yardage with the .22 and .25...they both knock them out of their tracks even at that range.

i had just finished doing some work on the Marauder recently and took it outside for a "test" after re-mounting the scope.

after shooting three shots to check 'zero' and being satisfied it was "on" i noticed something on an old tractor tire i have sitting in the southwest corner of the lot. i shouldered the rifle and peered thru the scope to see a ground squirrel sitting on it looking somewhat like a fur covered ten pins, pin.

these invasive creatures are cute, but, destructive and will render a field or meadow useless in very short order by way of burrowing, just like over sized gophers or prairie dogs, they'll have the place looking like moon scape terrain. not only that, but squirrels, especially ground squirrels, are known sources of the spreading of plague and carry other diseases as well. to me, they're on a par with their relatives, rats and mice.

i opened the bolt slowly and cautiously making sure to cock the hammer as quietly as possible, dropped a huge, .25 caliber JSB diabolo, pellet into the single shot tray, and slowly closed the bolt making sure the pellet fed into the chamber smoothly and correctly.

i lined up the Tech Force 4-12x power scope while adjusting the AO for correct yardage and sight picture all the while centering the heavy reticle cross hairs amidships of the offensive creature; it ranged out to be 68 yards by my Opti-logic, laser range finder.

the Marauder has a wonderful trigger with an ever so sweet, crisp, pull and break. i "snicked" off the safety, began my breathing routine, exhaled, held the thick cross hairs right on the middle of the chest of the squirrel and squeezed the trigger.

the mechanical "tink" sound that eliminates from the marauder tells me the shot has taken off as there is no recoil what so ever from PCP rifles and i see the squirrel literally, explode, in the scope. it was a good shot. one less vermin to destroy the meadow and leave a mess in our tack shed.

closer examination of the carcass showed that the pellet had struck 1/2" low of my aiming point...not bad by any stretch of the imagination; i was one click off.

didn't matter to the squirrel...

I'll continue to 'improve' my air rifle(s) if i feel the need to, but hey...i'm finding that if i want more/better performance...go to the next size up...most manufacturers have the basic platforms perfected, all you have to do is refine it.

lots has

gone on since my last entry.

i got a rebuild kit for my Beeman RX-1; I'll undertake that in the future.

i pulled the bolt of the 25 Marauder and polished the air port and i discovered the "O" ring seal for the breech/probe had slipped out of it's groove. once replaced, it improved the performance dramatically.

i made a brace for the boquiver on the Hoyt GameMaster and that aided it vastly, too. i also installed an elevated arrow-rest on it. it works well, too.

the weather has finally settled down to where i can shoot my bow(s)regularly now. I'm thinking of advertising a trade for lighter limbs for my Quinn Stallion. right now i have 55 lb limbs for it; way to heavy for me at the moment.