Well, finally headed out to my favorite pecan bottom for a hunt Friday morning. Got in my seat at my "automatic" den tree at 7 and 20 minutes later -- nothing! But, I did hear turkeys gobbling down the creek, and heard them fly down. So, moved on down the creek about 100 yds and picked up one moving through the trees along the creek. Sneaked on up to a big pecan tree about 60 yds away and set up. Squirrel was moving but made a mistake when it paused on a clear limb--rifle on bipod, safety off, aim, squeeeeezzzzzeeeee--BANG! Squirrel launched to the next tree, hit the limb, hung on for a few seconds, then dropped. I sat back and enjoyed the morning and watched the turkeys across the creek -- 14 of them, including 6 gobblers and two bearded hens. About 5 minutes later, I notice limbs/leaves moving so I moved about 25 yds to the next big pecan tree and set up again. The squirrel got active again after a few minutes' wait, but couldn't tell if it was feeding on new buds, building a leaf nest, or what. Got the Remington 513 Sporter w/Leupold 2.5-8x on the bipod and just watched. I saw every part of the squirrel but the head for about 10 minutes, then it took a breather and I slipped the safety off--aimed, and BANG! followed by a falling body and a strange noise, almost like the squirrel fell on a piece of plywood (down in the creekbed). Before I could decide to go check, noticed one about 75 yds away in another big pecan. It came down a big limb, and stopped and watched me move the bipod, re-set the rifle, aim, squeeeezzzzeeeee, and BANG! Same result--dead squirrel. So--I go pick it up, then back to the one that made the funny noise. When I looked over the creekbank, I noticed 4-5 empty metal barrels in the creek, what had at one time been a dam. No squirrel in sight, and the bank is nearly vertical about 5' down, and muddy, so I didn't investigate further-- Mosey on over and get the first one--right where I watched it fall. Back to the stool, sit down and in just a few minutes, see another one in a big willow about 100 yds away. Move closer--about 35-40 yds from the tree, and set up again. Turkeys are still parading along the creek about 100 yds away--not at all disturbed by my shooting. Am looking for the squirrel in the big willow and notice a reddish blob on one of the greyish limbs--Squirrel!! Same procedure--BANG! and I missed, but squirrel makes mistake and slowly sneaks down the limb, and around the trunk to my side and stops--BANG!--dead squirrel #4. I sat back and switched magazines, and dang, there was another one way up in the top of the willow--eating buds. Had to extend the legs on the bipod--way up there. Finally got the head and crosshairs married up, squeezzee, and BANG! Pop, falling squirrel, and splash. Well, knew it wouldn't be a recovery--as I've never seen a dead squirrel float--more like a bowling ball, and that was the case. So, I picked up the one that gave me the second shot, put her on the stringer, and decided I needed some coffee and headed for the truck. When I walked out of the bottom into the field where I parked, the flock of turkeys were about 40 yds from the truck, enjoying the sun, and the gobblers were all strutted up.

So--a good morning in the woods.

Unless they are really close, under 25 yds, I just leave it on 8x as I try and take only head shots--although this is a centerfire type scope, it has been back to Leupold to have the parallax adjusted to 60 yds instead of the usual 150.

My other 513S wears a Kohlmorgen Bear Cub scope at 2.75x fixed and that makes for some tough head shots out at the far end -- 75+ yds.