I grew up in a family torn between two attitudes related to the importance of a rifle’s accuracy. My Grand Father, Charlie Rosenauer believed if a fellow had a good .22, 12 gauge shotgun, and a 30 caliber deer rifle, he needed 0, nothing, nada, zilch more! “Learn to shoot ‘em good boy and you will do just fine” was his consistent motto to me.
My Dad, Johnnie Sr. felt like he should “tinker” with a gun until he had just the right handload that would generate the best possible performance out of the firearm. Once that was accomplished, he would lose interest in 90% + of his guns and trade around for a new one to mess with.
When it came to sighting in a rifle for deer season, the same differing attitudes prevailed. Charlie was good to go if he could hit the red dot on one of those old Texaco Oil cans from about 40 steps off the front porch of his old farmhouse. I came to understand that viewpoint as Minute of Deer. Johnnie Sr. wanted to have one jagged hole for 3 to 5 shots that was only 1 inch across in size. That was Minute of Angle.
Like many other things in my Life, I ended up somewhere in between their perspectives. As the years have gone by my 20/15 vision has deteriorated into something a good bit less than that. Not yet at the Seeing Eye Dog with a White Cane level, thank the Good Lord, but sure enough no Eagle Eye anymore.
A dimension I like to visualize when sighting in on a mature deer is that of a volleyball right on and just behind the shoulder. Obviously, an elephant or a cotton tail rabbit would have a different sized “kill zone”. But I have yet to come across an elephant out in La Brasada, and I am not much on shooting at the bunnies.
Now for those pesky old hogs, I tend to enjoy giving them an “ear exam” with a Nosler or Federal Accubond bullet. Sometimes I go for a shoulder shot but prefer not to damage that much meat. Sort of like the Stop and Go Store, but my goal is for the chosen animal to Stop and Drop, cause looking after wounded stuff in La Brasada is NOT my idea of a picnic, especially in the dark. As the candles keep increasing on the BDay Tortilla, that is no longer the kind of fun and adventure I am seeking!
In reviewing this Tale, I have stumbled and fumbled upon the conclusion that my attitude is one of Minute of Adequate. The Good Lord has blessed us with some magnificent animals to roam our acres and if we can harvest the excess for food and stewardship purposes in a respectful manner, I reckon that is about all I could wish for.
P.S. The rains have sure been timely so far this year in our little part of the world, and I am excited about what Fall 2023 might hold for us. Good horn development and a healthy fawn crop sure sound real nice in my way of figuring out things!