A few weeks ago I got a call for the DOW asking if I'd gotten their letter. Uhm, no. Payton had been drawn for a youth Pronghorn hunt in eastern Colorado. So I got busy getting stuff ready. They require shooting sticks which I don't use and factory ammo. :frown I don't think I've ever killed a big game animal with factory ammo. She's been shooting the 257 AI all summer but with reloads. So I bought a couple of boxes, at $32 a box:eek:, and we made sure that it was sighted with those loads. I also got a couple for Hunter's 06 to take for a backup. We had to be in Limon at 1400 on Friday to meet the hunt master and other hunters. We met everybody, filled out paper work, bought licenses and headed to the ranch. Payton was the only girl out of 4 hunters. Once we dropped our stuff off in our rooms we headed to the range to check everyone's zero. They had a life size antelope target at 125 yards. Payton volunteered to shoot first. She got the 257 and settled in with her sticks. The guide handed her a round, she loaded the rifle and nothing happened. She looked at me and the guide took the rifle from her and fiddled with it. He then said that if the safety was on, you pulled the trigger, then moved the safety to the fire position it would fire and that the rifle was unsafe.:huh2: I'd been wanting to replace the trigger because I didn't like the safety but hadn't because it was never a pressing issue. Now it was pressing. So I put the 257 away and got the 06 out. In the meantime the other kids shot with varying degrees of skill. Finally Payton was up to shoot again. She fired 3 shots with the 06 from the shooting sticks and all 3 were kill shots. She was the only one to do that. :jumpingsmiley: The they worked with the other kids a little and then had her shoot 1 shot from the bench. Right behind shoulder, about 1/3 of the way up. Jokingly they said that the kids who shot the worst had to do dishes that night, Payton was like, "That's not me, punks!" So That night we had dinner and got to bed, ready for an early morning.
Saturday morning we had a hearty breakfast and divided up for the days hunt, 1 hunter and parent per guide. She got Gordon, the hunt master and we headed south. We spotted a few here and there before seeing a group of about 10 that we could put a stalk on. We got to about 300 yards before they took off. We headed to check some other places and stopped by the bunk house as we passed. One of the kids had killed a doe at 35 yards and was done. We tried another group but again, they were too far and no shot. So we headed for a different part of the property that was several miles away. We saw several groups there but they were all on the run. We saw a bunch that were hanging around a water hole in some gullies and decided to put a stalk on them. We drove down into the first draw and stopped near the top and walked over. It was empty but I spotted a buck near the top. We watched and he was being followed by a lone doe who was being followed by another buck. We got as close as we could and she set up for a shot but they never stopped and moved out of range. So we went back to the truck and drove near the top of that draw to check the next one. We gout of and snuck to the top. There was a buck bedded about 150 yards below us facing away. He had no idea we were there. But, the kids all had doe tags. There were several does a bit further out. The guide told Payton which one to shoot and where to hold. She fired and the doe kind of hunkered down and ran a little bit, unsure of where the noise came from. The guide thought that she hit it. I was not so sure. I saw the bullet hit the hill behind her. She chambered another round, aimed, and fired again. This time I heard the bullet hit. The doe ran about 20 yards and piled up. We got pictures, dressed the animal and headed back to camp. The antelope was only hit the one time, her first shot was a little high. Of the 4 kids in the hunt, 3 filled their tags.
Checking the zero.
Payton and I with her antelope.
Payton and Gordon.
The kids playing cards at camp
After talking to Payton, I am convinced that in her nervousness of shooting in front of the others, she was trying to shoot with the safety on. I am unable to replicate the issue that the guide had. All I can think of is that he was pulling the trigger when he moved the safety to the fire position. Guess what? I tried that on on 4 other rifles and they ALL did that. That's how they work. I've already ordered another trigger and I'll still replace it but it's not an issue.
Looks like you two had fun. Was she shooting the biggest gun of the group when she used the 3006? If so out shooting the boys and a bigger gun likely deflated some young guys egos!! Glad it was a success!
Quote from: farmboyLooks like you two had fun. Was she shooting the biggest gun of the group when she used the 3006? If so out shooting the boys and a bigger gun likely deflated some young guys egos!! Glad it was a success!
She was. The others had a 270, 7-08, and 308.
I've seen a couple of .270s that were mules, but the 7-08 and .308s should have been significantly milder than the '06. Discounting the stock configurations, (which one shouldn't do, especially with younger/smaller shooters), it really comes down to stock weight, bullet weight, and velocity. In that order of significance.
Paul
I love stories with a happy ending....way to go, Payton!
She also made the best shot on her antelope. The kid with the 270 shot his at 35 yards, the hid with the 7-08 missed a couple before hitting one then finishing it at close range, and the last kid missed one and ended up not getting one.
My daughters won all of their archery competitions while they competed. They regularly beat the boys. I explained to them that the reason wasn't so much a matter of better skill but rather that girls tend to LISTEN to what a teacher tells them, and follow directions. Thereby comes success.
Most y-chromosomes (males), myself included at a young age, "already know how to do that" and "don't need" instruction. If/when the male decides he actually wants to IMPROVE, they shut their mouths, start LISTENING, and doing what their told. Improve follows immediately.
Girls are easier to teach almost anything. Boys can ultimately surpass girls in motor-skill-related activities, but it's usually 1) at a later age, and 2) only after they decide they actually WANT to get better.
Paul
WAAAAY to go Peyton !! Awesome shooting .
Can`t believe what a grown up lady you`re becoming.
Proud Pappa too. Thanks for the story and the pics.
Great stuff Peyton, top shooting and well done on keeping cool in what could have been two stressful situations.
Well done Dad as well - bet you were proud to see it all come together.
Marcus
Well done Peyton.