... you go to the zoo and visualize shot placement!

Side brain on elephants, heart/lung and spine shots on giraffe, zebra, leopard, red river hogs, hippos, and the list goes on!!!

When the kids were a lot younger, I actually snuck the pocket version of "Perfect Shot" in to the zoo. The first time I discretely (and I was discrete) consulted it, my wife shot me "that look." You know the one. The look that with no ambiguity whatsoever clearly communicates that you should not expect dinner, or anything else for that matter, for the foreseeable future.

I put the book back in my pocket and enjoyed th zoo. But, you can't help but think about shot placement.

I have a paddock with cattle in it across the road from my home ( from 50 out to 200 yds, and I cant look at them without seeing various kill shots. Of course I also use them as dry fire practice from the kitchen window and in that case they are all buffalo.

Von Gruff.

Ha, that's funny! My family and I were just at the Birmingham zoo today and my son and I were going over the shot placement on a greater kudu. The lady next to us was not pleased.

quote:

Originally posted by PSmith:
Ha, that's funny! My family and I were just at the Birmingham zoo today and my son and I were going over the shot placement on a greater kudu. The lady next to us was not pleased.

Get your young kids to take along their toy guns to the zoo, then dad could really have some shot placement practice.

I do it all the time, with people too!

I took my grand daughter to the zoo and we were looking at the elephants. We were standing in a crowded observation area and she said "Papa, was the elephant you shot bigger than that one?" I just smiled and said "Why yes sweetheart it was."

Been there, done that!!1

D. Nelson

Going to do it tomorrow. After I book a pg hunt today!

Dean

quote:

Originally posted by lal:
I do it all the time, with people too!

Surely not pictures of "Julie baby?"

I want to take one of my scopes to a local exotic wildlife parks, but my wife keeps threatening to hurt me.

I cannot smell cow shit anymore without thinking about cape buffalo.

A little off topic, but I always took a bino or two when I took the kids to the zoo. Much more exciting.

My husband and I do the same thing when we go to the African animal displays Cabela's! You try to be discreet, but you still get strange looks from people. Too funny.

I completely understand. When I returned from my SA trip in May I started checking the list of animaLs at the local zoo so I could do exactly what you described. They only had two animals and I had already taken them on my trip. Sorry zoo it was, too.

Looks like a Kiwi trait. I do that all the time on sheep & cattle around my place! I find it a big help with dry firing and the results show on the range when doing free hand practice or club shoots.

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:
I have a paddock with cattle in it across the road from my home ( from 50 out to 200 yds, and I cant look at them without seeing various kill shots. Of course I also use them as dry fire practice from the kitchen window and in that case they are all buffalo.

Von Gruff.

I can't tell you how many times I have tracked my black lab running through the brush or kneeled on the trail as she came running back towards me. Great practise for keeping that front sight where it needs to be.

One of the joys of living in the woods is that you can take your dog and your rifle for a walk everyday and nobody gets excited if you also throw in a little "practise"!

quote:

Originally posted by RAC:
I cannot smell cow shit anymore without thinking about cape buffalo.

Around here they mainly run black angus cattle. I have to keep reminding mysele that they are not buffalo. That doesn't keep me from visualizing the aim point on them though.

Yes, it's a disease all right. I find myself doing it quite often when we visit the Wild Animal Park in San Diego and take the ride on the tram through the Park. I get the same reaction from the liberal, bunny hugging folks on the tram ride when I am placing the shot on Cape buffalo, various and sundry gazelles and antelope, elephants, leopard, lions, giraffe. . . . . . . . . But, it's fun anyway, and I haven't been kicked out of the Park yet!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who does that.

Thanks to the Boddington on Elephant DVD, my five year old horrified his Sunday School teacher by giving her a complete rundown on the proper brain shot on an elephant.

quote:

Originally posted by JA:
I took my grand daughter to the zoo and we were looking at the elephants. We were standing in a crowded observation area and she said "Papa, was the elephant you shot bigger than that one?" I just smiled and said "Why yes sweetheart it was."

Thats one for the ages!

On the ride at the Disney Animal Kingdom as well.

and

+1 on the black angus. I drive by a pasture two or three times per week and think BUFFALO!

quote:

I took my grand daughter to the zoo and we were looking at the elephants. We were standing in a crowded observation area and she said "Papa, was the elephant you shot bigger than that one?" I just smiled and said "Why yes sweetheart it was."

Now when I was about 4 years of age, my parents and me went to the Elephant closure at Auckland Zoo. So the enclosure was absolutely packed with people viewing the Elephant, and of course the Elephant decided to empty it's bowels. To which I piped up over the reasonably silent crowd and said "don't worry mum, it's only fruit and vegetables" Half the crowd of people just erupted in laughter.

You poor, poor sick bastards. You will have to book another one soon.

To quote from the TV program, "I know nothing", Sgt Schultz

lavaca,

a brisk walk home for her would have fixed that. If not, next time those two young ladies that clean our house arrived would have.

Not only do I visualize shot placement on zoo animals but I have several elephant paintings. Those ele's have been killed at least 100 times each with dry fire exercises. Same goes for all the taxidermy mounts in my trophy room. They get shot again and again pretty much every day! Wife and Kids think I'm crazy. They may be on to something there!

I live in the Rockies and have a huge meadow in front of my house where deer routinely gather in the evening. I spend a lot of time with my rifles, both scoped and iron-sighted, dry firing from all angles and all positions. Hell, I even dry fire on my two labs as they run around the place.

Maybe its just me but I think its disgusting that some people can point a gun at their OWN DOGS! Personally I have not stooped that low. Just my personal opinion. Visualising is one thing but actually pointing a firearm at any animal you dont want to kill is just wrong guys.

quote:

Originally posted by lal:
Maybe its just me but I think its disgusting that some people can point a gun at their OWN DOGS! Personally I have not stooped that low. Just my personal opinion. Visualising is one thing but actually pointing a firearm at any animal you dont want to kill is just wrong guys.

I agree, the safety mantra is "Never point your gun at something you are not willing to kill!"

465H&H

quote:

Maybe its just me but I think its disgusting that some people can point a gun at their OWN DOGS! Personally I have not stooped that low. Just my personal opinion. Visualising is one thing but actually pointing a firearm at any animal you dont want to kill is just wrong guys.

I knew a guy who would actually shoot at his shorthair when he ranged too far... he figured the pellets would not have enough energy to penetrate the skin, just give him a good 'reminder'

It makes perfect sense. I took a trip to the zoo just for this reason, but when I got there the elephant enclosure was shut down for the day. The lady who was at the elephant gate could see the disappointment on my face and offered me a free pass for another day.

.. when you take your 4 year old daughter to the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History to spend a few hours on a Saturday afternoon and as we meander into a crowded African room and as she sees the life size Kudu exhibit, yells back to you "Daddy, You shot one of these"... Watching the looks of shock on SoCal soccer moms was priceless...

quote:

Originally posted by Junior:
.. when you take your 4 year old daughter to the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History to spend a few hours on a Saturday afternoon and as we meander into a crowded African room and as she sees the life size Kudu exhibit, yells back to you "Daddy, You shot one of these"... Watching the looks of shock on SoCal soccer moms was priceless...

Only a kudu?

quote:

Originally posted by lal:
Maybe its just me but I think its disgusting that some people can point a gun at their OWN DOGS! Personally I have not stooped that low. Just my personal opinion. Visualising is one thing but actually pointing a firearm at any animal you dont want to kill is just wrong guys.

Do " sitbokke" and their cousins count?

I think it was Elmer Keith who used to practice shots on running game by aiming at the hubcaps of passing autos.

Discreetly, of course, as Elmer did everything.