Couldn't sleep last night, so I periodically took a peek outside with binos to see if anything was stirring. And just before 6 a.m. this morning, I noticed some out-of-place blobs that definitely weren't deer down towards the creek.

I already had the 7mm Bullberry at-the-ready and simply turned on the illumination for the 2-8x42 Zeiss Duralyt as I knew this would be a tough shot in such soft, pre-sunrise lighting. I made my way to a sandbagged rest and waited for the largest to turn and give me decent presentation. One of the smaller hogs was getting antsy, and I considered changing my choice of target. But it didn't take long before I had a slight quartering-to presentation, so I put the dot on what I perceived to be the shoulder and touched off a shot.

The sound of the shot broke the morning stillness, and the audible "whap" of bullet breaking bone told me all I needed to know about the shot. The 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, with a muzzle velocity of app. 2650 fps, indeed centered the onside shoulder and exited app. 3 inches behind the opposite shoulder, leaving a dime-sized exit in its wake but making absolute mush of the vitals. The hog made a small semi-circle at the shot, covering may 15 yards total before dropping in virtually the same spot as she originally stood. I later ranged a bush right next to where the plump sow had stood, and the viewfinder said 191 yards.

Years ago, I never would have considered illumination in a scope. But this small, sharply-focused and unobtrusive dot in the Duralyt's #60 reticle is amazing as it can be adjusted down so low that it will not negatively affect your vision under the poorest of lighting conditions.

Bobby, Good to hear from you.
With all the rain We have had this year, I expect a lot of pork in my freezer.

Bobby:
How does that scope work in the blackest of nights? When I was in Fla. on stand I could make out big hogs about 80yards away with naked eye. Totally blacked out thru the K-6. So dark I couldn't even see the crosshairs.

Thanks, sure good to see you're doing a bit more. Hang in there.

George