Your Best "Holy BBGM!" shot

[Mistman]

I saw the 'Trick shot' thread earlier and got to thinking about shots that make you think 'no way', you know, a pure luck shot. I've never tried to do any trick shooting for real, maybe a few quick draws and messing around w/a shotgun when I was a kid but I have made a few interesting shots.

That 1st I recall was sitting on a old log up in the woods while my dad was digging carnelian agate from under a stump nearby. I was tired, been up there all day playing around by myself w/my BB gun and was ready to get home and eat something. I sometimes put more than one BB in the chamber of my Crossman Powermaster 760 pump, a vintage '70 model (got it new when I was 8 and still have it), and usually always had at least 10 pumps or more in it. While I was sitting there a hummingbird buzzed right by my head going straightaway from me. I picked up the 760 off my lap, pulled up and watched 4 BB's smacked that little guy in the butt. I didn't honestly believe that I would actually hit it but I watched it nose dive into the bushes where he was lying when I looked. It was a snap shot, no real aim.

Another was while woods cruising w/a bud 100 years ago when we came up on an old snag that had a crow sitting in the top of it. If anyone has tried to shoot a crow incidentally, it's never a given. Those things just 'know' when a gun pops out. They could be laughing at you at 100 yards until they see a gun then just like that they're gone. I often attempt shots at them getting into the chicken coop, always the same birds. I've gotten 1 in the last year. It's not like I try but like I mentioned, incidentally. Anyway, the snag was along a creek so the top of the tree was about even w/the window of the truck but maybe 125 yards off. He stopped, I pulled out my 66, took careful aim and bam, down he goes like a maple seed whirlybird, twirling around in circles. Sure I aimed but it was a 4" model 66 w/38 sp loaded up in it. We just looked at each other w/big eyes then busted out laughing.

I hip shot a digger squirrel one time, one time. I'm actually pretty terrible at unaimed shooting.

I don't want to take up anymore space (I'm quite wordy) but I would like to hear about some of your own 'Holy Bubblegum!" shots, I'm expecting it could be entertaining.

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[Member 5605]

I felt bad once, I shot a humming bird at about 75y with my .22. Didn't think I would hit it on a whim. Poor fella.

 

[41mag]

Years ago got my then=new Colt Gold Cup. I was a squeeky new novice at reloading as well, & was trying to discover what "185 SWC" vs "230 RNL" meant. I had a small paper bullseye target, the kind 50' indoor 22 group uses. Pined to a tall stump at maybe 40', I intently drew down on it and did my best with one shot from a new 1911 with a new load.

Since I couldn't see the hole I holstered the pistol & walked forward closer to study the target...then closer still as I couldn't see the hole. This slow advance continued until I was able to finally make out where the round hit....by coincidence I was at exact distance away, that the exactly-centered X-ring POI 45 cut right inside the X-ring line, and the ring was perfectly circular as printed.

I hung other targets, preserving that one for years. Oddly enough, that didn't occur quite like that the rest of the day.....or decade.... but I have come close now & then.

 

[Medic!]

Had a 4-10/.22 under over when I was a kid.
Flushed a quail and it flew up and straight away from me.

Pulled the gun up to my shoulder and fired what I thought would be a 4-10 shotgun. Only to here the crack of a .22.
Shot the top of that birds head clean off above the beak.

Bird was 30-40Yds. out when I shot him.

 

[No_Regerts]

I hunted high-buck one year when it was still in the high 70s. We climed 3800 feet to not see a single sign that any four-legged creature had ever been where we were. As we were coming down, I saw a big grouse running around on the forest floor. He was about 40 yards away and had perched up on a log. My partner said I didn't have a hair on my azz if I didnt shoot it. I nonchalantly lifted my rifle and barely remember seeing the birds head before I lost everything in a blur of recoil. I said, "I know, I missed". My partner says, "the hell you did!" There was a perfect 270 caliber hole through the neck right under the beak.

 

[Stomper]

While duck hunting a few seasons ago me & my friend we're standing on a bank at the waters edge about 3' above the surface when BOOM this Bufflehead duck came out of nowhere zooming straight at us about 1' off the water and then at the last second pulled straight up before full-on hitting us. I (totally) reflexively snap shot that bugger and he went up another 10' then came straight down and landed right at our feet with his lower bill (and throat) shot off.... one shot in a million.

I also snap-shot a Teal duck that suddenly came out of nowhere when we were sitting in blind.


Ducks outright MOVE when they're flying!

 

[Mistman]

That grouse story reminded me of one. I was hunting the high cascades, there are a lot of what we called Blue grouse but I think are called Sooty now, good size birds. I happened to be deer hunting w/my 300 mag that year, we came around a corner heading back to camp and there was a big Blue about 75 yds down the road. I took careful aim at it's head and squeezed off a round. That thing fell over like a piece of wood and didn't twitch which is unusual in itself. Went over and picked it up, not a hole in it anywhere, just a little tiny bit of blood trickling out of the side of it's head.

I was sitting under an oak tree down in the the Umpqua valley as my cousin was taking a walk around the side of a hill back in the 80's. We were looking for a buck we knew hung out in the area. As I'm sitting there a squirrel walked out a branch on nearby tree, sat there for a sec and then jumped to the ground and crawled under a leaf about 10 yds from me. I sat there for another 1/2 hour then pulled my .22 revolver off my hip and carefully aimed at the center of the leaf the squirrel crawled under and let off a shot. Walked over turned over the leaf and there was the squirrel, picked it up and noticed it was a flying squirrel and was quite dead but again, not a hole in it. I believe it just happened to die while I was sitting there. I had it mounted on a stick until a cat got a hold of it.

 

[Stomper]

 

[IronMonster]

About 25 years ago I was out on a rock chuck shoot with some other guys my age. I had my Colt Hbar AR15 and all the other guys had bolt guns. We sat around for some time without seeing much and got to talking... One of the older bolt gun guys said something like "just as well, you couldn't hit anything with that hunk of crap plastic rifle anyway"

I said "point something out, I'll shoot it"

He pointed to a reflector on a wooden fence post about 150 yards away and said "bet ya cant"

I said something like, "you kidding, I could throw a rock and hit that, Hell I could split the top strand of barb wire above the reflector."

Of course, there was chuckles and jabs....

I took my shot, The top chunk of barb wire twanged in two.

He laughed and said "dumb luck"

So I took three more shots, each splitting the next lower strand on the post.

 

[Greenbug]

About 20 years ago when my eyes were much better I was out with a buddy and his girlfriend while he was teaching her to shoot clay pigeons with a shotgun. I was plinking a little with my 1911 while they were wasting ammo and clay pigeons, but not in the traditional way of actually hitting them as they were flying from the thrower. My buddy would wait for his girl to get ready, she would call the bird, he would launch then she would half bubblegum throw the gun up and jerk the trigger. It was like every time, she would not wait until the clay got maybe 10-20 feet out and touch off a round. Finally after 15 minutes of watching this and trying to give pointers I got bored. My buddy was launching the clays in the same arc every time so she could get the hang of it. He was launching them towards the big gravel pile about 80-90 yards away. I figured since she was missing every time and I could watch the clay sail into the gravel pile long after she shot that it wouldn't hurt to plink at one as it flew toward the gravel pile. Well I ended up hitting 2 of those clays out of the air with my 1911. I must have fired 20 or so rounds while trying, but it was something to do, and I felt like a million bucks when I connected with one while two witnesses watched! Then did it again a few rounds later!

A little bit of skill, but way more luck than anyone deserves.

I still have that 1911, and no, it is not for sale!

 

[clearconscience]

Well this is a bit off topic, However, when I was in a SAR explorer post when I was in 7th grade. I was the youngest guys by at least two years. The two guys that mostly ran it were Marines. Those two and a couple older guys were being cool throwing knives into a tree from about 10 ft. I walked up about 15ft behind them and chucked an ax overhead and it stuck into the tree right where their knives were.
They all looked back mouths open like WTF.
And I just walked away without saying a word.

That was my legend for a while.

 

[Stomper]

We shall call you... "Hatchet Man"!

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Well this is a bit off topic, However, when I was in a SAR explorer post when I was in 7th grade. I was the youngest guys by at least two years. The two guys that mostly ran it were Marines. Those two and a couple older guys were being cool throwing knives into a tree from about 10 ft. I walked up about 15ft behind them and chucked an ax overhead and it stuck into the tree right where their knives were.
They all looked back mouths open like WTF.
And I just walked away without saying a word.

That was my legend for a while.

gonna start callin you paul bunyan

 

[Andy54Hawken]

There I was... Enjoying some shooting at an old gravel pit.
Nothing serious , just picking off the old spent shotgun shell or odd bit of clay bird with my Hawken Rifle...
Just blowing off some steam from a rough week at school...

When along comes a "souped up " Honda Accord full of mouthy twenty somethings...
They all amble out , take in my rifle , point and snicker at me and my "old school" gun.. and unload the trunk of the car which has a few rifles , shotguns and pistols of the plastic and tactical variety...

I wait while they all set up and when done , they all blaze away at cans , clay birds , plastic bottles and such...
After what seems to be a slightly prolonged "Mad Minute" at one pesky paint can at around 100 yards with no result....And while they are all re-loading ...

I casually bring my Hawken to bear on said can and let fly....BOOM! roars my rifle and the can which is hit square , goes flying off....
There were more than a few comments of the "Holy Poop!!" type...

After making sure they were all clear , I policed up some target debris...said "Thanks." and left...
That was a fun day.
Andy

 

[Stomper]

LOL, they couldn't hit one at 100 yards? I could've stood flat-footed and hit that with a urine stream.

 

[teflon6string]

Last century, a fellow investigator and my girlfriend and I were trespassing in those huge rolling hills by Otay Lakes (San Diego East County along the Mexican border). Each with a sidearm and a .22 rifle, just wandering and enjoying the day.

Can't even guess at how far it was, but I spotted a rusted water heater tank dumped in a meadow several hundred yards down a hill. Figured there was plenty of drop, and a steady breeze so I picked another landmark way up and way over from the tank to use as a reference point... "Crack!" After a couple seconds... "Tink!"

They lost their minds and burned through a brick of .22 trying to get it, but no joy. I stood there chucking... "Tink!" "Tink!" "Tink!"

 

[Joe13]

My grandpa when I was around 6 would take me to a range and let me shoot the Ruger .22 and S&W 9mm.

Sometimes guys would comment on me being a little young and he would point out that the target was stuckinto the backer with tacks and ask them if they wanted to bet if I could hit one at 15 yards (is my memory but it's a guess).

After they made a gentlemans wager he would give me the .22 and generally I'd hit the tack on the first shot.

Those are my fondest memories of him.


As an adult I've made plenty of H S shots but I've been slacking and not shooting as much as I'd like so I need to get back to that soon

 

[EPS]

I was like 13 years old me and my dad sitting on the tale gate of his truck in the desert shooting .my .22 Marlin so I take a shot at this stick about 75-100 yards away on the hill side. Well it wasn't a stick it was about a 4 foot Mojave green rattle snake . so I took the pot shot and hit it in the head .it coiled up so we walked up there and looked at it perfect shot right in the head dead snake lol 1 in thousand or one in a million

 

[joken]

When the school bus was close to dropping me off at home one afternoon, I spied a China Rooster in the field across the road from the house. I went in and got the .22, crossed the road, and was one step from a rest on a fence post when he flew. I pulled up a prayer shot and down he went.

 

[Jasonanddeonna]

16 years old and spent the summer on my grandparents' property outside Richland, Oregon. Damn squirrels were constantly taking the fruit from the trees, few bites, and dropping it. Grandpa, a WW2 Gunnery Sergeant, did not like this and would sometimes use the .22 to take care of them. One day while we were working outside, damn squirrel started its challenge and chattering at me from the branch of an apple tree about 15-20 yards away. Grandma, grandpa, and the .22 weren't around, so I picked up a downed apple, threw it, and knocked that squirrel off the branch. It fell to the ground dead. Told grandma about it, who didn't believe it, until I showed her. She then told/showed grandpa who then started calling me "Deadeye" for the remainder of summer. A big compliment from him considering his PTSD and emotional distance/coldness.