4 rules question

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DadOfThree

New member
I have aquestion involving the 4 rules. I have recently been giving firearms classes to my 2 nephews and was asked a question that I didn't have a real good answer for. Leave it to the kids to ask :). Have you ever been squirrel hunting with a .22 or when out in the woods practiced your marksmanship by shoot walnuts out of a tree? "Always know what your target is and what is beyond it" How do you know this when shooting up into a tree? We live in a very rural area and the odds of the .22 coming down on anyone is very remote but I still don't know for sure where it is going to end up. I was telling the kids to never just fire your gun in the air for fun and that is when I got hit with the question. "What's the difference between that and shooting up in the air at a squirrel? If you miss you are still just shooting in the air." Any real good answers out there? It's true. There is no better way to learn more about a subject than to try teaching it. ;)
 
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sm

New member
Kids ask the darndest things...

RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Know what it is, what is in line with it, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything you have not positively identified. Be aware of your surroundings, whether on the range or in a fight. Do not assume anything. Know what you are doing.

From reading your post, though this is a remote area, I would take the nephews out for a ride of surrounding area. If trees are thick, its still no assuranance a miss will lodge in the tree-therefore a ride to see would help identify "what is behind it"[path].

I was asked this on a private range teaching shooting clays. I explained to the family that I had indeed locked the gate leading to the hillside used as a background. To ease the mind of the little girl whom had just finished hunter ed--yep we broke the guns down, she jumped in the truck leaving dad to babysit the guns and trap, so she could she for herself. Mom apologized--hey I thought it was a good question. Satisfied -back to the lessons.
 
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Edward429451

Moderator
Its a squirrel conspiracy. They heard we have a rule to not shoot in the air so they stay in the trees to spite us, so we practice a lot with our cheap .22's so we can be sure of the shot and take the shot anyway to get even with them for not playing fair.;) :D

Seriously though, alot of the fun in hunting is getting close enough for a sure shot. Any squirrel within 50 yards of my 10-22 is toast. Most of the tree shots even in these tall Colorado pines are no more than 20-30 yards.

So if a guy shoots in the air at a squirrel, and hits it, did he really violate rule #4?

I think not. As Jeff cooper may say, "I needs my safety rules, but I needed some lunch even more":D :D :D :p
 
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Sisco

New member
Couple of years ago a woman was struck with a .22 bullet while sunbathing at the municipal swimming pool. At first she thougt it was a bee sting then found the bullet next to her leg. Didn't break the skin but raised a welt. Nearest place to leagally shoot is at the river bed over a half mile away. The round had to have been fired up in the air, too many buildings, trees etc for it to have a direct line of flight.
 
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40ozflatfoot

New member
It shouldn't be hard to know what's beyond the tree you shoot into. If you miss the target, the bullet will likely hit a part of the tree, and be deflected....to you-know-not-where. That's why the best bet is to be sure what's in the bullet's projected path widened a bit for wobble. If you can't say for sure that there's nothing out there that you shouldn't hit, don't take the shot. Wait for a better one with a projected path that is clear. With tree rats, that shouldn't be hard.
 
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Edward429451

Moderator
I've had hundreds of through-and -through hits on squirrels
Click to expand...

I've had through and through shots on squirrels too but after it penetrates a squirrel it aint gonna have that much oomph left in it.

But, once again, I only squirrel hunt in mountainous terrain, far from populated areas. When in doubt, look for rabbits instead.
 
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Greybeard

New member
The question might be a good opportunity to explain to kids that .22LR can travel up to 1.5 miles, rounds such as CCI CBs considerably less. ... Or a reason to use shotgun and 6's instead if near questionable "fallout zone" for .22 projectiles ...
 
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Hardtarget

New member
A few years ago a young man I knew was killed while squirrel hunting.He entered the woods to hunt. Another also entered to hunt...from the opposite side of the wooded area. They stopped about 100 yards apart.A .22 bullet made it through all those trees and hit him in the head. He died in a very short time.
Today, (11/23), I had to "pass" on the biggest buck I've ever seen because just over the bucks head was a house. That rule about "whats beyond" just kept ringing in my head. I thought "what if I lived in there?"Maybe I need to hunt in more remote areas!Mark
 
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